Harvard University

Harvard Early Decision Results Release Date 2021

Harvard will release their Early Decision results on Wednesday December 15th. Share results and connect with other early applicants in the Harvard Community discussion.

Good luck to all early applicants!

Harvard University Overview

Harvard University is a private, nonprofit school in an urban setting in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard was founded in 1636 and now enrolls around 10,071 students a year, including 5,222 undergrads. Harvard offers on-campus housing for students. Most students live in off campus housing, and 90% of students spend their weekends on campus .

There are many ways for students to get involved at Harvard! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of Harvard's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Harvard students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

There are no fraternities or sororities at Harvard, so it might be a good choice if you're not interested in Greek life.

Planning to play sports? Harvard has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Harvard on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at Harvard on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2022 is January 1. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should receive admissions decisions by April 1.

Is Harvard a Good School?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a look at each of these factors to get a better sense of what Harvard offers and if it sounds like a good choice for you.

Harvard Acceptance Rate 2021

It is extremely difficult to get into Harvard. The acceptance rate at Harvard is 5%. Out of 40,248 applications received in 2021, 2,015 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Harvard

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 75% of students who start at Harvard return for their second year of college. Around 98% of students who started at Harvard earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outlook Harvard Graduates

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers.

Harvard's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. As of 2021, the total market value of the school endowment was $41.9 billion. The average college endowment was $905 million in 2021.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Harvard

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Harvard meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $62,338 a year.

Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $18,197 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Harvard. Based on this information, how does Harvard sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Harvard a good school for you?

If Harvard University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Searching for Colleges?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about Harvard:

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Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting accepted at some of the top schools in the U.S.

Where is Harvard University Located?

Harvard is located in the urban setting of Cambridge, Massachusetts, less than an hour from Boston.

If you want to see Harvard for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 90 to Cambridge, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Logan International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Harvard and Cambridge are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in Massachusetts?

See a full list of colleges in Massachusetts and save your favorites to your college list.