Harvard University

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2017 Undergraduate Tuition

$44,990

3.95% growth from 2016

2017 Average Net Price

$17,030

After Financial Aid

2016 Student Loan

0.844%

Default Rate

2017 Acceptance Rate

5.16%

39,506 Applicants

2017 Enrolled Students

31,120

67.2% Full-Time

2017 Graduation Rate

96.4%

1,597 Graduates

About

Harvard University is a higher education institution located in Middlesex County, MA. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Harvard University were General Economics (338 degrees awarded), Computer Science (230 degrees), and General Political Science & Government (165 degrees).

In 2017, 8,797 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Harvard University. 50.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49.7% awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were white (3,673 degrees), 2.69 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1364 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Harvard University is $44,990, which is $18,490 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($26,500).

About the photo: Emerson Hall in a snowstorm

Photo by Colleen A. Bryant

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Harvard University is $44,990, which is $18,490 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($26,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $17,030.

In 2017, 43% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 2% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$44,990

2017 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2017, the cost of tuition at Harvard University was $44,990. The cost of tuition at Harvard University is $18,490 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($26,500).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Harvard University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$17,030

2017 Value

5.09%

1 Year Growth

In 2017 Harvard University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $17,030. Between 2016 and 2017, the average net price of Harvard University grew by 5.09%.

This chart compares the average net price of Harvard University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$15,951

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Harvard University was of $15,951 in 2017. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 3.71% between 2016 and 2017. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Harvard University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

43%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

43% of undergraduate students at Harvard University received grants or loans in 2017. This represents a decline of 2.27% with respect to 2016, when 44% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Harvard University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.844%

2016 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2016 the default rate for borrower's at Harvard University was 0.844%, which represents 17 out of the 2015 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Harvard University received 39,506 undergraduate applications in 2017, which represents a 1.19% annual growth. Out of those 39,506 applicants, 2,037 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 5.16% acceptance rate.

There were 31,120 students enrolled at Harvard University in 2017, and 67% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Harvard University has an overall enrollment yield of 82.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

5.16%

Acceptance Rate in 2017

2,037

Accepted Out of 39,506

In 2017, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Harvard University was 5.16% (2,037 admissions from 39,506 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2016, which was 5.4%. Between 2016 and 2017, the number of applicants grew by 1.19%, while admissions declined by -3.46%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Harvard University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

67%

Submission Percentage

1,126

Scores Submitted

67% of enrolled first-time students at Harvard University in 2017 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Harvard University has a total enrollment of 31,120 students. The full-time enrollment at Harvard University is 20,918 students and the part-time enrollment is 10,202. This means that 67.2% of students enrolled at Harvard University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Harvard University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 41.8% White, 13.5% Asian, 8.19% Hispanic or Latino, 5.35% Black or African American, 3.79% Two or More Races, 0.174% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.119% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Harvard University in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Male (22.6%), followed by White Female (17.7%) and Asian Female (10.5%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority White Male (20.8%), followed by White Female (18.7%) and Asian Female (7.04%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

67.2%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Harvard University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 31,120 students. The full-time enrollment at Harvard University is 20,918 and the part-time enrollment is 10,202. This means that 67.2% of students enrolled at Harvard University are enrolled full-time compared with 78% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Harvard University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

98%

2017 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Harvard University was 98%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (83%), Harvard University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Harvard University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
13,017
Asian
4,203
Hispanic or Latino
2,550

The enrolled student population at Harvard University is 41.8% White, 13.5% Asian, 8.19% Hispanic or Latino, 5.35% Black or African American, 3.79% Two or More Races, 0.174% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.119% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 51.5% White, 13.4% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.57% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,074 students (3.45%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2017, 55 more women than men received degrees from Harvard University. The majority of degree recipients at Harvard University are white (3,673 degrees awarded). There were 2.69 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1364 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Harvard University is General Economics (338 degrees awarded), followed by Computer Science (230 degrees) and General Political Science & Government (165 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Harvard University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Architecture and Related Services (319 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (213 degrees), and Legal (800 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Harvard University are Elementary & middle school teachers (130,629 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (112,541 people), Other managers (103,425 people), Architects, except landscape and naval (87,212 people), and Postsecondary teachers (86,422 people).

The most specialized majors at Harvard University are Architecture and Related Services (319 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (213 degrees), Legal (800 degrees), Math & Statistics (304 degrees), and History (216 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Chemists & materials scientists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Harvard University are Chemists & materials scientists, Dentists, Surgeons, Sales managers, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Harvard University are Elementary & secondary schools (245,995 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (162,971 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (148,878 people), Legal services (96,612 people), and Computer Systems Design (95,605 people).

Degrees

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Harvard University.

Most Common

General Economics
338 degree-majorss awarded
Computer Science
230 degree-majorss awarded
General Political Science & Government
165 degree-majorss awarded

In 2017, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Harvard University was General Economics with 338 degree-majorss awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Harvard University according to their major.

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

Degrees Awarded to Men

4,371
4,426

In 2017, 4,371 degrees were awarded to men at Harvard University, which is 0.988 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (4,426).

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at Harvard University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2017, 640 degrees were awarded to men at Harvard University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.31 times more than the 489 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2017, 544 degrees were awarded to women at Harvard University in General Education, which is 3.09 times more than the 176 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

86%

100% Completion Time

98%

150% Completion Time

In 2017, 86% of students graduating from Harvard University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 98% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 98% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Harvard University is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (68.1%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2.82% of graduates (45 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
3,673 degrees awarded
Asian
1,364 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
723 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Harvard University is white (3,673 degrees awarded). There were 2.69 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1364 degrees).

2.43% of degree recipients (214 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Male
1,838 degrees awarded
White Female
1,835 degrees awarded
Asian Female
737 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Harvard University is white male (1,838 degrees awarded). There were 1 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (1,835 degrees).

Operations

Harvard University has an endowment valued at nearly $37.1B, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $3.11B (8.38%), compared to the 5.91% average return ($16.9M on $287M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2017, Harvard University had a total salary expenditure of $4.88B. Harvard University employs 1,019 Professors, 246 Lecturers, and 208 Assistant professors. Most academics at Harvard University are Male Professors (738), Female Professors(281), and Male Lecturers (139).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Harvard University are: Management, with 2577 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 1938 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 1879 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$37.1B

2017 Endowment

4.01%

growth from 2016

Harvard University has an endowment valued at about $37.1B, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The endowment of Harvard University grew 4.01% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $36.8B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Harvard University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$618M - Federal
$3.68M - State
$549k - Local

As of 2017, Harvard University received $618M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $3.68M from state grants and contracts, and $549k from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$1.89B

2017 Salaries

4.4%

growth from 2016

In 2017, Harvard University paid a median of $1.89B in salaries, which represents 38.6% of their overall expenditure ($4.88B) and a 4.4% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.58% growth from 2015 and a 4.29% growth from 2014.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 215M (42.7% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$334M

Instructional Salaries

1,759

Number of Employees

In 2017, Harvard University paid a total of $334M to 1,759 employees working as instructors, which represents 17.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $64.9M (30.2%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

1019 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

2577 Employees

In 2017, the most common positions for instructional staff at Harvard University were Professor with 1,019 employees; Lecturer with 246 employees; and Lecturer with 208 employees.

In 2017, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Harvard University were Management with 2,577 employees; Business and Financial Operations with 1,938 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 1,879 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Professor
Male Lecturer

In 2017, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Harvard University was Male Professor with 738 employees, Female Professor with 281 employees, and Male Lecturer with 139 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Harvard University.

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