Private nonprofit · University

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts · Midsize city

#1 most selective in Massachusetts#1 graduation rate in Massachusetts
3.6%
Admit rate
$19,066
Avg net price
98%
Graduation rate
$101,817
Median earnings

Harvard University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts (midsize city setting), enrolling 7,601 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 7,601 undergradsMidsize cityHighly selective · 4% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Ivy GroupCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Harvard University's admitted students.

Admit rate
3.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1510–1580
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Harvard University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Harvard University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of European contact, the area was inhabited by Naumkeag of the Pawtucket Confederacy to the north and Massachusett to the south. Manufacturing was an important part of Cambridge's economy in the late 19th and early 20th century. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
3 miles to Boston, MA
To the ocean
4 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Boston Logan (BOS) · major hub

How Harvard University compares

Selectivity3.6%

More selective than 99% · #1 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1553

Higher than 99%

Graduation rate98%

Higher than 99% · #1 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention98%

Higher than 96%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$101,817

Higher than 98% · #8 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$19,066

Cheaper than 54% · #14 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$14,000

Lower than 92%

Student–faculty ratio7 : 1

Lower than 92%

Undergraduate enrollment7,601

Larger than 85%

Percentiles compare Harvard University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Harvard University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

29,016students
  • Undergraduate7,60126%
  • Graduate21,41574%

Undergraduates by gender

7,601undergrads
  • Women3,81250%
  • Men3,78950%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White31%
  • Black8.9%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian22%
  • Other or multiracial26%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,601
Graduate enrollment
21,415
Student–faculty ratio
7 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
17%
Median family income
$33,066
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$225,432
Endowment
$53,235,205,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,644 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts15%
  • Other U.S. states70%
  • International16%

A national draw — only 15% of first-years come from Massachusetts; 69% arrive from other states.

16% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
3.6%
Test scores
Required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1510–1580
SAT average
1553
SAT reading
740–780
SAT math
770–800
ACT composite
34–36
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$61,676
Room & board
$21,190
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$85,540
Average net price
$19,066

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
98%
Graduated on time (4 years)
56%
First-year retention
98%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$99,572
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$101,817
Median debt at graduation
$14,000
Students with federal loans
4%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
67%

About 42% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
56%
Low-income (Pell)
80%
First-generation
78%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
14,344
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$12,424
Meal plan (year)
$7,950
Application fee
$85
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Ivy Group
Varsity athletes
1,204 (665 men · 539 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (21)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)231
Rowing184
Football113
Lacrosse83
Swimming and Diving (combined)68
Soccer61
Ice Hockey57
Sailing40
Fencing36
Water Polo36
Other Sports35
Volleyball32
Basketball31
Wrestling31
Baseball30
Squash26
Tennis26
Field Hockey25
Skiing22
Softball21
Golf16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
94
Property offenses (2022–2024)
469

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 7 campuses (30,259 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

188reported offenses a year
31 violent a year156 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
124
Burglary
32
Rape
13
Fondling
9.7
Aggravated assault
7.7
Robbery
1.3
Arson
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$8,697
$30–48k
$2,991
$48–75k
$2,091
$75–110k
$9,941
$110k+
$53,337

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$9,711

$2,091/year × about 4.6 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

57%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$62,073
average award, among those who get one

Harvard University discounts heavily: 57% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $62,073. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,645 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$101,817
Typical debt at graduation
$14,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
14%
Out-earn a HS grad
87%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$89,726
Men
$113,988

Men out-earn women by $24,262 (27%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
49.4″
Annual snow
49.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jamaica Plain, MA US station (4.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Harvard University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Harvard University side by side →

Colleges near Harvard University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.