Harvard University
Private nonprofit four-year university in Cambridge, MA that costs an average of $19,148 a year after financial aid, admits 3.6% of applicants and graduates 97% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$19,148
Acceptance rate
3.6%
Graduation rate
97%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$121,957
Private nonprofitMidsize city7,601 undergraduates
Cost of Harvard University
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $89,279 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $64,796 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $22,130 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Average net price after aid | $19,148 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $2,542 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $2,070 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $4,126 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $9,995 |
| $110,001+ | $51,128 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships. Get your own estimate with Harvard University's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 3.6% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,553 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 740–780 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 770–800 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 34–36 |
| Test scores | Required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 97% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $97,143 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $121,957 |
| Rank in Massachusetts (earnings) | 5th of 65 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $17,559 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $200 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 20% |
| Students with federal loans | 7.9% |
Majors and programs at Harvard University
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (66)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 391 | $171,540 | $13,000 |
| Applied Mathematics | 248 | $145,554 | — |
| Economics | 518 | $120,683 | $14,000 |
| Political Science and Government | 321 | $71,819 | $7,500 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 64 | $60,764 | — |
| Social Sciences | 352 | $55,717 | $25,000 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 178 | $54,924 | — |
| History | 313 | $54,630 | — |
| Sociology | 75 | $52,477 | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 136 | $50,250 | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 164 | $48,738 | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 194 | $45,001 | $7,500 |
| English Language and Literature | 82 | $43,559 | — |
| African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Anthropology | 43 | — | — |
| Archeology | — | — | — |
| Area Studies | 54 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 38 | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | — | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | — | — | — |
| Biology | — | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 30 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | — | — | — |
| Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | 130 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 29 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | — | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | — | — | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Education | — | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 18 | — | — |
| Engineering Science | 83 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | — | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 37 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | — | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | — | — | — |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | — | — | — |
| Leisure and Recreational Activities | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 47 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 46 | — | — |
| Marketing | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | 156 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 53 | — | — |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | — | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | — | — | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Music | 18 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 33 | — | — |
| Natural Sciences | 75 | — | $25,000 |
| Philosophy | 63 | — | — |
| Physics | 111 | — | — |
| Psychology | — | — | — |
| Public Health | — | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 12 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 12 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 9 | — | — |
| South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Southeast Asian and Australasian/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Statistics | 117 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | — | — | — |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | — | — | — |
| Turkic, Uralic-Altaic, Caucasian, and Central Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 53 | — | — |
Certificate programs (9)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 3 | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | 66 | — | — |
| Computer Programming | 22 | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 4 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 10 | — | — |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 39 | — | — |
| Data Science | 4 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 5 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 28 | — | — |
Associate's degree programs (1)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1 | $45,115 | — |
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs (1)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (115)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | 35 | $254,969 | — |
| Engineering Science | 228 | $188,056 | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 236 | $180,858 | $59,147 |
| Public Administration | 637 | $172,076 | $39,585 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 104 | $156,641 | — |
| Computer Engineering | 187 | $142,155 | $47,239 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,103 | $111,071 | $34,302 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 228 | $109,398 | $28,818 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | — | $105,033 | — |
| Public Health | 808 | $104,048 | $66,000 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 391 | $102,390 | $75,236 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 283 | $94,806 | $20,500 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 76 | $90,576 | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 131 | $86,559 | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 374 | $86,050 | $41,000 |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | 134 | $83,231 | $54,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | — | $80,826 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | $77,383 | $30,080 |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 1,074 | $76,805 | $29,650 |
| Education | 20 | $74,450 | — |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 247 | $74,280 | $63,000 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 1 | $72,085 | $66,000 |
| Area Studies | 108 | $69,625 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | — | $66,538 | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 254 | $65,181 | $61,185 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | 276 | $55,152 | $19,500 |
| Museology/Museum Studies | 93 | $48,966 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Anthropology | 45 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 33 | — | — |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | 1 | — | — |
| Architecture | 2 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 23 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 3 | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | 4 | — | — |
| Biology | 58 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 12 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | 75 | — | — |
| Business/Commerce | 85 | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | — | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 9 | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 13 | — | — |
| Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 57 | — | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | — | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | — | — | — |
| Computer Programming | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | 102 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 1 | — | — |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 26 | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | — | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 10 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 12 | — | — |
| Economics | 217 | — | — |
| Education, Other | — | — | — |
| Engineering Physics | 15 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 56 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 49 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 4 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 11 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | — | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 49 | — | — |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | 4 | — | — |
| History | 118 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 198 | — | $21,734 |
| Information Science/Studies | 49 | — | — |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | — | — | — |
| International and Comparative Education | — | — | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 169 | — | — |
| Journalism | 53 | — | — |
| Landscape Architecture | 7 | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 350 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 15 | — | — |
| Literature | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 1,403 | — | — |
| Marketing | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | 12 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | 80 | — | — |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 84 | — | — |
| Medicine | — | — | — |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | — | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 47 | — | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Modern Greek Language and Literature | — | — | — |
| Music | 6 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 1 | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 8 | — | — |
| Nutrition Sciences | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | 9 | — | — |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | — | — | — |
| Physics | 45 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 121 | — | — |
| Psychology | 184 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 35 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | — | — | — |
| Real Estate | 6 | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 31 | — | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 17 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 135 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 8 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| Social Sciences | 139 | — | — |
| Sociology | 13 | — | — |
| South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Statistics | 45 | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 151 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 28 | — | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 26 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (69)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | 26 | $148,905 | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 96 | $102,677 | — |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | 14 | — | — |
| Anthropology | 25 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 13 | — | — |
| Applied Statistics | 7 | — | — |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | — | — | — |
| Architecture | 27 | — | — |
| Area Studies | 43 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 37 | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | — | — | — |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | 15 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 44 | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | 17 | — | — |
| Biology | 129 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 26 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | 8 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | — | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 33 | — | — |
| Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 57 | — | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 2 | — | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | 6 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 17 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 42 | — | — |
| Demography | — | — | — |
| Economics | 109 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | — | — | — |
| Engineering Physics | 31 | — | — |
| Engineering Science | 54 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 12 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 7 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 19 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Genetics | 7 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | — | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | — | — |
| History | 48 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | — | — | — |
| Landscape Architecture | — | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 14 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 23 | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 30 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 17 | — | — |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 16 | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 48 | — | — |
| Modern Greek Language and Literature | — | — | — |
| Music | 18 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 1 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 37 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 4 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 9 | — | — |
| Physics | 71 | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | — | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 51 | — | — |
| Psychology | — | — | — |
| Public Health | 14 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 20 | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 22 | — | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 20 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 21 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 7 | — | — |
| Sociology | 16 | — | — |
| Statistics | 12 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | — | — | — |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | 4 | — | — |
Professional degree programs (9)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | $219,183 | $41,000 |
| Law | 1,192 | $215,131 | $61,500 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | — | $206,756 | $41,000 |
| Medicine | 349 | $81,073 | $92,193 |
| Dentistry | 68 | $80,505 | $232,651 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | — | $51,675 | $25,500 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | — | — | — |
| Education | — | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | — | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (47)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | 40 | $206,560 | $239,536 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 1 | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 143 | — | — |
| Biology | 27 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 24 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | 31 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 158 | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | 62 | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 22 | — | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 45 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | — | — | — |
| Computer Programming | 43 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 175 | — | — |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 69 | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 15 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | — | — | — |
| Education | — | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 84 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 45 | — | — |
| Environmental Design | 80 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 108 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 204 | — | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 55 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 250 | — | — |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | 247 | — | — |
| Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies | 42 | — | — |
| International Agriculture | 42 | — | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 163 | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Literature | 23 | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 130 | — | — |
| Marketing | 87 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Museology/Museum Studies | 55 | — | — |
| Nanotechnology | — | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | 28 | — | — |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 12 | — | — |
| Public Health | 12 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 35 | — | — |
| Real Estate | 143 | — | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 9 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 315 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 19 | — | — |
Similar colleges in Massachusetts
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | Boston | $47,587 | 44% | $43,451 |
| Tufts University | Medford | $38,797 | 11% | $89,187 |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | $38,930 | 16% | $112,178 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | $43,885 | 60% | $113,513 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge | $14,815 | 4.5% | $152,553 |
| Bentley University | Waltham | $38,969 | 45% | $126,427 |
| Suffolk University | Boston | $40,008 | 82% | $75,345 |
| Merrimack College | North Andover | $39,219 | 70% | $74,412 |
About Harvard University
| Type | Private nonprofit four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Cambridge, MA |
| Setting | Midsize city |
| Undergraduates | 7,601 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 7 to 1 |
| Accreditor | New England Commission on Higher Education |
| Website | harvard.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is Harvard University's acceptance rate?
Harvard University admits 3.6% of applicants, making it highly selective. Admitted students average 1,553 on the SAT.
How much does Harvard University cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $89,279 a year (tuition and fees: $64,796). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $19,148 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $2,542.
How much do Harvard University graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $121,957 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 5th of 65 similar colleges in Massachusetts. The best-paid bachelor's program is computer science ($171,540 a year after graduation).
What is Harvard University's graduation rate?
97% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% of first-year students return for a second year.