Harvard University

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 9 November 2026.

About Harvard University

Harvard dates its founding to 28 October 1636.^[2] The Massachusetts Bay Colony’s General Court voted to establish it, and in 1639 it was named Harvard College for John Harvard, its first benefactor, who left it money and about 320 books in 1638.^[1]

The main campus is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a second campus in Allston and a medical campus in Boston’s Longwood area.^[1] Harvard’s website lists 15 schools and units, including Harvard College, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, the Kennedy School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.^[2]

Student numbers differ by source. The university website gives 24,317 undergraduate and graduate students without a year.^[2] Wikipedia gives 21,189 students for fall 2024.^[1] According to Harvard’s “One Harvard, One World” page, 6,793 international students were enrolled in 2024–25, which is 27.2 % of total enrolment.^[6]

How is Harvard University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, Harvard is 5th in the world, the same place as in 2026. Oxford is fourth and Cambridge sixth.^[3] A second list of the top ten also shows Harvard in 5th place, behind MIT, Imperial College London and Stanford (joint 2nd) and Oxford.^[9]

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings. See also the best universities in the USA.

What can you study at Harvard University?

Harvard’s website lists 15 schools and units:^[2]

• Harvard College (undergraduate), Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Business, Law, Medicine, Dental Medicine, Divinity, Design, Education, Kennedy School (government) and T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Continuing Education and the Radcliffe Institute

This profile does not summarise individual degree programmes; use each school’s own admissions pages.

How much does Harvard University cost in 2026–27?

Harvard College lists total billed and unbilled costs of $95,134–$100,134 for 2026–27.^[4]

Financial aid

Harvard College states that aid is 100 % need-based, that it meets 100 % of demonstrated need and that financial need does not affect admission chances. For families with an annual income below $100,000 the expected parent contribution is zero, and for incomes up to $200,000 aid covers at least the full cost of tuition. International students are eligible for the same aid as American students.^[4] The international applicants page confirms that aid uses the same policies for all applicants regardless of citizenship and that admission decisions are made without regard to whether you apply for aid.^[5]

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

For 2026–27 master’s and PhD tuition is $59,048 a year in the first two years and $15,352 a year in the third and fourth years, with a continuation fee of $3,906 a year after the fourth year. The student health insurance plan costs $2,477 per term ($4,954 for two terms) and the health fee $972 per term. Many students receive grants that cover tuition and fees.^[8]

How do you apply to Harvard College as an international student?

International applicants follow the same process as everyone else: all first-year candidates must complete the Common Application and the required supplements.^[5]

• Tests: Harvard requires the SAT or the ACT. In exceptional cases AP, IB, GCSE/A-Level or national leaving exam results can fulfil the requirement. Students may self-report scores.^[5]
• Documents: schools outside the US may issue very different documentation; translated credentials are accepted if the original accompanies the translation, and a professional translator is not required.^[5]
• Class size: the Class of 2030 had 55,104 applicants and 2,037 admitted students, which is about 3.7 % (our calculation).^[7]

This profile covers Harvard College for applications; for graduate programmes see the school you are interested in. We give no deadlines here because they change every year. Check the current dates on college.harvard.edu.

Does Harvard require an English test?

Not for first-year applicants. Harvard College says applicants are “not required to take an English proficiency exam”. TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores may be submitted, but they cannot replace the SAT or ACT.^[5]

Visiting Undergraduate Students must take the TOEFL or the IELTS.^[5] The pages used for this profile do not state English rules for the graduate and professional schools, so check the school you apply to.

More about studying in United States (USA)

• United States (USA): best universities
• Study in United States (USA): complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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