Harvard University
#3 in National Universities (tie)
Overview
Harvard University is a private institution that was founded in 1636. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,240 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 5,076 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Harvard University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #3. Its tuition and fees are $59,076.
Located outside Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University is made up of 12 graduate and professional schools, an undergraduate college and the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Its schools include the top-ranked Business School and Medical School and the highly ranked Graduate Education School, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Law School and John F. Kennedy School of Government. Harvard is a private, nonprofit institution that was founded in 1636 colonial America by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The school was initially created to educate members of the clergy, according to the university’s archives. Harvard is named after a Puritan minister – John Harvard – who, in 1638, left his 400-book library and half of his estate to the young school. The first commencement ceremony at Harvard, held in 1642, had nine graduates.
Harvard's extensive library system houses the oldest collection in the U.S. and the largest academic library in the world. Beyond books, Harvard's athletic teams compete in the Ivy League, with an annual football match-up against rival Yale. On-campus residential housing is an integral part of student life, where freshmen live at the center of campus and upperclassmen live in 12 undergraduate houses. Eight U.S. presidents graduated from Harvard, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Other notable alumni include Henry David Thoreau and Helen Keller. Harvard also has the largest endowment of any school in the world.
Harvard University is a private institution that was founded in 1636. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,240 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 5,076 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Harvard University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #3. Its tuition and fees are $59,076.
Located outside Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University is made up of 12 graduate and professional schools, an undergraduate college and the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Its schools include the top-ranked Business School and Medical School and the highly ranked Graduate Education School, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Law School and John F. Kennedy School of Government. Harvard is a private, nonprofit institution that was founded in 1636 colonial America by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The school was initially created to educate members of the clergy, according to the university’s archives. Harvard is named after a Puritan minister – John Harvard – who, in 1638, left his 400-book library and half of his estate to the young school. The first commencement ceremony at Harvard, held in 1642, had nine graduates.
Harvard's extensive library system houses the oldest collection in the U.S. and the largest academic library in the world. Beyond books, Harvard's athletic teams compete in the Ivy League, with an annual football match-up against rival Yale. On-campus residential housing is an integral part of student life, where freshmen live at the center of campus and upperclassmen live in 12 undergraduate houses. Eight U.S. presidents graduated from Harvard, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Other notable alumni include Henry David Thoreau and Helen Keller. Harvard also has the largest endowment of any school in the world.
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At-a-Glance
Setting
N/A
Tuition & Fees
$59,076
Undergraduate Enrollment
7,240
Acceptance Rate
3%
2024 Rankings
Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.
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Admissions
Cost
Tuition & Fees
$59,076
Room & Board
$20,374(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$70,387
$13,259
$13,259
Tuition & Fees
$59,076
Room & Board
$20,374(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$70,387
*Average cost after aid
Academics
87%
7:1
71%
Popular Majors
MAJOR
% OF GRADUATES
ALUMNI STARTING SALARY
Social Sciences, General
26%
N/A
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
14%
N/A
Mathematics, General
12%
N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General
11%
N/A
History, General
9%
N/A
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* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.
Faculty Research Impact
Bibliometric Rank
3
Bibliometrics is the statistical analyses of publications and citations for the purpose of measuring faculty research impact.Publications Cited in Top 25% of Journals
74%
Publications Cited in Top 5% of Journals
29%
Total Papers published between 2018-2022
137,657
Citations Per Publication
21:1
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Students
7,240
Graduate Enrollment
14,373
Total Enrollment
21,613
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students
7,178
Student Diversity
Gender Distribution
Ethnic Diversity
52%
Minority Enrollment
52%
Minority Enrollment
34%
White
23%
Asian
13%
International
12%
Hispanic
9%
Black
8%
Two or more races
1%
Unknown
Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.
Campus Life
Housing and Dorms
Types of campus housing available:
Student Activities
111+
Sports Teams
N/A
Fraternities
N/A
Sororities
After College
Graduation Rate
87%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
15%
Average Debt at Graduation
$13,683
$86,549
$86,549
Graduation Rate
87%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
15%
Average Debt at Graduation
$13,683
Reviews & Ratings
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Read More
Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.
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