#5 in the world · QS 2027

Harvard University

The oldest college in the United States, where undergraduates live in 12 residential Houses on the Charles River.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States Private research university Founded 1636 Official website

See my chances at Harvard Admissions office

Acceptance rate: 4.2%; Class of 2029 (entered fall 2025)
Students: 24,317; 6,675 undergraduates
International: 28%; of students
Student–faculty: 7:1; ratio
Tuition: $62,226; International undergraduates · 2026-27

About Harvard

Harvard was established in 1636, making it the first college in the American colonies. Today the university enrolls about 24,300 students, but the undergraduate experience is concentrated in Harvard College, with roughly 6,700 students. The rest study at graduate and professional schools that include Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, the Kennedy School of Government, the Graduate School of Design and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Undergraduates pursue a liberal arts and sciences education and choose a concentration (Harvard's word for a major). The incoming Class of 2029 splits its intended fields across social sciences (35%), natural sciences (27%), engineering (25%) and humanities (12%). The Harvard Library, with more than 20 million holdings, is described as the largest academic library in the world, and research centres such as the Wyss Institute and the Broad Institute, run with MIT, give undergraduates access to frontier science.

Life is organised around residence: first-years live in dorms in and around Harvard Yard, then move into one of 12 upper-level Houses, each with its own dining hall and faculty deans. Harvard suits students who want to go deep in an academic field while being surrounded by peers who are also leading clubs, publications and teams. Admission is need-blind for all applicants, including international students, and aid is entirely need-based.

Veritas

“Truth” — university motto

Why students choose Harvard

Need-blind admission and identical need-based aid for U.S. and international students, with no parent contribution expected below $100,000 of family income.

The House system gives every upper-level student a residential community with its own dining hall and faculty leadership.

Access to 13 schools, including Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School, for courses, research and speakers.

The Harvard Library, with more than 20 million holdings, is described as the world's largest academic library.

Admissions

Class of 2029 (entered fall 2025)

About 1 in 24 applicants is admitted

2,003 admitted from 47,893 applicants

ACT 33–35

2024283236

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

1,675 of the 2,003 admitted students enrolled (yield about 84%). 16% of the Class of 2029 applied from permanent addresses outside the U.S. (Harvard notes this reflects address at application, not citizenship).

Testing Required: SAT or ACT. In exceptional cases where these tests are inaccessible, AP, IB, A-level/GCSE or national leaving exam results may be used instead.

Grades Harvard does not publish a GPA range. Fall 2025 enrolled students' SAT section ranges (25th-75th) were 720-770 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 730-790 Math; Harvard's Common Data Set does not report a composite SAT range.

Deadlines

Restrictive Early Action Non-binding Next deadline · In 26 days

November 1, 2026

Non-binding; applicants may not apply early to other private colleges (with limited exceptions for public universities). Decisions in mid-December.
Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 months

January 1, 2027

Decisions at the end of March.

Harvard lists November 1 and January 1 (11:59pm local time) for first-year applicants; these are the dates for the current cycle, entry fall 2027. Counselors get an extra week for their materials.

How to apply

Common Application with personal essay and activities list; five Harvard supplement questions of up to 150 words each; $95 fee or waiver; School Report with counselor letter and transcript; two teacher recommendations from different subjects; midyear and final reports; SAT or ACT; optional supplementary materials via SlideRoom.

What admissions looks for

Academic achievement in context: rigor of the school record, grades, test scores, essays and recommendations are all weighed together rather than by formula.
How you would contribute to the Harvard community, including the life experiences that shape your perspective.
What you do outside class: extracurricular activities, employment, travel and family responsibilities all count.
Personal qualities, including how you handle disagreement and what you learn from it.
How you plan to use a Harvard education in the future.

Tips for applying to Harvard

1 The five supplement answers are only 150 words each, so use each one for a single concrete story rather than a list of achievements.
2 The roommate question (three things your roommates should know about you) is a good place for personality and humour.
3 Plan testing early: Harvard asks REA applicants to submit scores by the end of October (November sittings still arrive in time); Regular Decision applicants should ideally test by November, though December SAT or February ACT scores are accepted.
4 Interviews are with alumni and not guaranteed; Harvard says the absence of an interview will not hurt you.
5 If you have serious work in art, music, research or writing, submit it through the optional supplementary materials.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

All undergraduates Tuition $62,226

+ housing ($14,250) and food ($8,942) $23,192 ≈ $85,418 per year

Tuition Housing ($14,250) and food ($8,942)

Official cost of attendance $95,134

Financial aid

Harvard is need-blind for all applicants, including international students, meets 100 percent of demonstrated need and offers no merit scholarships. Families earning under $100,000 are expected to pay nothing, and families earning up to $200,000 have at least full tuition covered.

45%
Class of 2029 attending tuition-free: 26%
Class of 2029 attending at no cost: $13,000
Average parent contribution (aided families): $6,216
Required fees (2026-27)

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring)

Economics

Part of the social sciences, the largest intended field (35%) of the Class of 2029.

Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)

A quarter of the Class of 2029 intend to study engineering, taught by the Paulson School.

Government

Connected to the Kennedy School, whose alumni include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

History and Literature

A humanities concentration that draws on the Harvard Library's more than 20 million holdings.

Research

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
Harvard Library, more than 20 million holdings.

Schools & faculties

Harvard College
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard Business School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard Kennedy School
Graduate School of Design
Graduate School of Education
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Graduation rate

97%

First-year students who return

98%

Student life

First-years live together in dormitories in and around Harvard Yard, which builds a class identity before everyone scatters to the Houses. From sophomore year, students live in one of 12 Houses, nine along the Charles River and three in the Radcliffe Quadrangle, each with its own dining hall, faculty deans and traditions. Harvard competes in NCAA Division I in the Ivy League, and the rivalry with Yale is the social highlight of the autumn. Harvard Square, just outside the Yard, gives the campus cafes, bookshops and music.

12 upper-level residential Houses, nine by the Charles River and three on the Radcliffe Quad.
First-year housing in Harvard Yard.
NCAA Division I athletics in the Ivy League.
The John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard.

Housing. First-years live in dormitories in Harvard Yard and upper-level students live in one of 12 residential Houses.

Location

Harvard is in Cambridge, about three miles from downtown Boston across the Charles River. Harvard Square is the campus's front door, with a Red Line subway stop that reaches Boston in minutes and MIT in a few stops. Cambridge and Boston together form one of the densest student cities in the world, with museums, music venues and internships in biotech, finance and policy. Winters are cold and snowy.

Nearest airport: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

Notable alumni

BO
Barack Obama

44th U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Harvard Law School 1991
JF
John F. Kennedy

35th U.S. President; Harvard College 1940
WE
W. E. B. Du Bois

Sociologist and civil rights leader; first African American to earn a Harvard Ph.D. (1895)
EJ
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Kennedy School 1971
BK
Ban Ki-moon

Eighth UN Secretary-General; MPA, Kennedy School 1985
YM
Yo-Yo Ma

Cellist; bachelor's degree in anthropology 1976
NP
Natalie Portman

Academy Award-winning actor; bachelor's degree in psychology 2003

Frequently asked questions

What is Harvard's acceptance rate?

Harvard admitted 2,003 of 47,893 applicants to the Class of 2029, an admit rate of about 4.2%.

Does Harvard require the SAT or ACT?

Yes. Harvard requires the SAT or ACT, with AP, IB, A-level or national exam results accepted only in exceptional cases where tests are inaccessible. The middle 50% ACT range for fall 2025 enrollees was 33-35.

Is Harvard need-blind for international students?

Yes. Admissions decisions are made without regard to whether an applicant has applied for aid, and international students are eligible for exactly the same need-based aid as U.S. students.

Is Harvard early action binding?

No. Restrictive Early Action is non-binding, but you may not apply early to other private colleges. The deadline is November 1, with decisions in mid-December.

How much does Harvard cost in 2026-27?

Tuition is $62,226 and the full estimated cost of attendance is $95,134-$100,134 depending on travel. Families earning under $100,000 are expected to pay nothing.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.