<p>Nobel prize winners:
Stanford (19), see [Stanford</a> University Department of Physics - Nobel Prize Winners](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/physics/people/nobel.html]Stanford”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/physics/people/nobel.html)
Harvard (10), see [Harvard</a> Physics: Nobel Laureates](<a href=“http://www.physics.harvard.edu/about/nobel.html]Harvard”>http://www.physics.harvard.edu/about/nobel.html)</p>
<p>membership in national academy of science in physics section.
Stanford (total 16: 8 in physics, +2 in apllied physics + 6 in SLAC )
Harvard (total 11: 8 in physics + 3 in applied physics)</p>
<p>US NEWS physics specialty ranking
Quantum: Harvard (# 2), Stanford (#4)
atomic/molecular/optical: Harvard (#3), Stanford (#4)
condensed matter: H (#5), S (#4)
cosmology/relativity/gravity: H (#3), S (#4)
elementary particles/fields/string theory: H (#3), S (#1)</p>
<p>In conclusion, Stanford and Harvard are comparable in physics.</p>