Harvard acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Harvard University · Private nonprofit · Cambridge, MA · 9,095 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Harvard admitted 3.5% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 5.8% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $64,796 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5.8% | 35,023 | 2,047 |
| 2014 | 6.0% | 34,295 | 2,045 |
| 2015 | 5.6% | 37,307 | 2,080 |
| 2016 | 5.4% | 39,041 | 2,110 |
| 2017 | 5.2% | 39,506 | 2,037 |
| 2018 | 4.7% | 42,749 | 2,024 |
| 2019 | 4.6% | 43,330 | 2,009 |
| 2020 | 5.0% | 40,248 | 2,015 |
| 2021 | 4.0% | 57,786 | 2,318 |
| 2022 | 3.2% | 61,221 | 1,984 |
| 2023 | 3.5% | 56,937 | 1,965 |
Applications went from 35,023 in fall 2013 to 56,937 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $2,542 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $2,070 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $4,126 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $9,995 |
| Over $110,000 | $51,128 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $64,796 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $89,279 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $19,148 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 52% submitted the SAT, 22% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| MIT MA | 4.7% | $64,730 same for all |
| Northeastern MA | 5.6% | $69,289 same for all |
| Tufts MA | 10.1% | $73,616 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Harvard admitted 3.5% of applicants for fall 2023: 1,965 students out of 56,937.1 For fall 2013 the rate was 5.8%, so the decline is 2.3 percentage points, small in size but large relative to where it began.1 The admit rate slipped in 7 of the 10 annual changes from 2013 to 2023, while applications grew 63% and the number of offers barely moved.1
Harvard reported a test-optional policy for fall 2023; the middle 50% of enrolled students who submitted the SAT scored 760 to 800 in math.1
The 2025-26 sticker price for tuition and fees is $64,796, and the full cost of attendance listed for 2024-25 is $89,279.2 Very few aided families pay anything close to that: the average net price was $2,542 for incomes up to $30,000 and $4,126 for $48,001 to $75,000.2 Only families earning over $110,000 averaged a substantial bill, $51,128 a year in 2024-25.2 Across Massachusetts, the median net price at the 50 private nonprofit bachelor's colleges that report it is $30,145, far above Harvard's overall average of $19,148.2
Of students who entered in 2019, 97% graduated within 6 years, and the median former student earned $121,957 a year 10 years after starting.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 56,937 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 1,965 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,645 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 9,095 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 780 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 36 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 52% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 22% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $64,796 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $89,279 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $19,148 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $2,542 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $2,070 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $4,126 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $9,995 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $51,128 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 97% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 98% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 20% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $121,957 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $17,559 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median average net price, private nonprofit colleges, Massachusetts (N = 50) | $30,145 | College Scorecard, median NPT4_PRIV, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2024-252 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Harvard, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page