University of Harvard: Rankings, Courses & Admissions

University of Harvard: Location

The University of Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The main university campus lies along the Charles River, about 3 miles (5kms) west of downtown Boston, extending into the surrounding Harvard Square neighbourhood. 

Type of University: Public or Private

The University of Harvard is a private institution with an admission process that is most selective, and only academic elites get to study over here. The University of Harvard’s acceptance rate is 5% and an early acceptance rate of 13.9%. 

History of the University of Harvard

The establishment of the University of Harvard dates back to 1636 by a vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who approved £400 to start a school or college in the name of “New College”. After the death of its first benefactor, John Harvard of Charlestown, in 1638, the Great and General Court ordered that the college be called Harvard College. He bequeathed a will and left half of his estate and entire library to the school after his death. 

In 1780, the Massachusetts Constitution officially recognized Harvard with university status, and the students received their first medical instruction in 1781, thereby leading to the foundation of the Medical School in 1782. 

Education at University of Harvard

The University of Harvard has the largest endowment of any school globally and conducts research across a range of disciplines in more than 100 centres. Apart from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the 209-acre campus is home to 10-degree granting schools, five museums and two theatres. Some of the other eminent degree-granting institutions at Harvard include the highly ranked Business School, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Law School and Graduate School of Education. 

The University of Harvard also boasts of a medical school based in the nearby city of Boston. The Harvard Medical School is affiliated with several teaching hospitals such as Brigham Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The academic calendar at the university is semester-based, with English being the medium of instruction. 

USPs of University of Harvard

Being a student at Harvard is a perk in itself because of the name it holds. However, some of the unique features of the university are as follows:

• The library at Harvard is the largest globally, with 19 million volumes at its 70+ libraries, including rare manuscripts, letters and more.
• From the Harvard Yard, stacks below the Widener Library, research hospitals in Mission hill to the top of Harvard stadium, the campus at Harvard is full of history and culture.
• Boasts of one of the oldest business schools in the world, founded in 1908. 
• Unlike other business schools with one or two buildings, the Harvard Business School campus comprises 34, including five Execution Education buildings and five on-campus residence halls. 
• It hosts more than 5000 scholars, the highest among US universities.

QS World University Rankings and Other Rankings

Acceptance rate (general)

Despite having a whopping 61,221 applications in 2022 alone, the Harvard University acceptance rate stayed limited to only 1,984 applicants, with 36 from the waiting list. This is a minuscule 5% rate of acceptance. However, it remains one of the most elite institutions in all of America. 

Furthermore, US News reports a 13.9% early admissions Harvard University acceptance rate. In addition, the student-to-faculty ratio at Harvard stands at 7:1. In fact, the school only accommodates an average of 20 students per classroom to ensure an optimal learning environment. Moreover, the graduation rate early stands at a very high 98%.

Documents required

Harvard University admission criteria, like any other institution, require applicants to submit the following documents: 

• High School Transcript and GPA
• Application Form
• Application Fee (Unless Waived)
• English Language Proficiency (optional)
• SAT and ACT Scores 
• Letters of Recommendation
• Supplemental Essays
• Interviews (Optional)

Harvard may also skip the interviews and rely solely on the range of essays that an individual submits along with their application. However, this does not affect the applicant’s chances of getting into the University. 

Furthermore, English language proficiency tests are also optional. Nevertheless, if an individual is taking them to apply to a different institution, they can submit those results. Regardless, the Harvard university admission criteria emphasize English proficiency, given that the entire curriculum is taught in the language.

Tests required and average scores

The question “how to get into Harvard University” almost always begs the follow-up of “with how many marks.”  Listed below are all the test requirements of the Harvard University admission criteria:

• SAT or ACT (undergraduate applicants)
• GRE or GMAT, or LSAT (postgraduate applicants)
• Two additional SAT Subject Tests
• IELTS/TOEFL (not required if the applicant’s first language is English)
• Writing samples, video or audio samples (for non-academic or performance arts courses)

As stated previously, Harvard does not specify any scores. However, applicants typically have a very high score. 

Top Courses Offered at the University of Harvard

The University of Harvard has its legacy of being the best for more than 350 years. It has successfully positioned itself as the best ivy league university, both in the US and in the world. This is because the institution offers a host of top-ranked courses which attracts students from all over the globe, which are as follows.

• MBA in Finance
• MBA in Marketing
• MBA in Business
• A joint degree program in Law and Business
• Master in Design Engineering
• M.Arch
• MS in Health Data Science
• MS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• PhD in Computer Science
• PhD in Evolutionary Biology
• PhD in African and African American Studies

Here’s a sketch of the University of Harvard fees across undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs for the 2022-2023 academic calendar.

Full-time graduate school students (per academic year)

Fees: $51,904 (INR 38,76,419.10)

Part-time graduate school students (per academic year)

Fees: $25,952 (INR 19,38,209.55)

Full tuition fees for PhD and Master’s students (required for first two years of study)

Fees: $50,928 (INR 38,03,527.12)

Reduced tuition fee (required for the third and fourth year of study)

Fees: $13,240 (INR 9,88,821.46)

How does the University evaluate applicants?

The Harvard University admissions requirements promote academic brilliance but never limit candidates to a single aspect. Admissions decisions are decided by a diverse 40-person admissions committee, with each member having one vote.

The University undertakes what they call the “Whole Person Review.” This review includes a range of factors since most applicants at the University have perfect scores or grades on each of their tests. These criteria are:

• Awards
• Essays
• Teach or counselor recommendation
• SAT/ACT optional and GPA
• Leadership
• Alumni interview
• Life experiences
• Race/Ethnicity/Background 
• Extracurricular activities and athletics
• Additional considerations

Tips for applying to the University

As established, the Harvard University acceptance rate is extremely low. Therefore, the key to acquiring admissions to the University is to stand out from the crowd of high scores and perfectly-written supplemental essays. 

Some of the ways to do this have been stated below:

• Present the best scores: While scores are not the be-all, end-all of it all, they are vital.
• Send the application early: This way, the applicant can avoid the last-minute application rush.
• Remain authentic: Harvard may be an elite university, but it values authenticity, including the applicant’s non-upper-class family background.
• Emphasize what matters: The supplemental essays are there for this exact reason. The different prompts allow the applicant to focus and elaborate on what matters to them and why.
• Avoid counterfeit or fake information: The university holds all authority to cancel an application or admission or even rescind a degree if they discover misleading or inaccurate information. So ensure absolute accuracy in all the submissions.
• Don’t worry if there is no Alumni interview: With thousands of eligible applicants each year, they can skip over a few alumni interviews. But that will not affect the applicant’s chances at admissions, so fret not.
• Proofread the application: Nothing is more crucial than conveying accurate information. Moreover, ensure that the grammar and spellings are on point in all the supplemental essays.

Application deadlines

Here is a detailed timeline of the application deadlines at Harvard University.

• Restrictive Early Action application deadline: October 31
• Restrictive Early Action applicant additional material deadline: November 1
• Regular Decision application deadline: Early November
• Restrictive Early Action applicant decisions: Mid-December
• Regular Decision applicants additional material deadline: January 1
• Financial Aid requirement: February 1
• First-year admission decisions: End of March
• Reply deadline for accepted students: Early May

Career Opportunities Available for Harvard Graduates

Finding a rewarding and fulfilling job for a Harvard graduate is not cumbersome since they get a lot of opportunities not just off campus but also on the campus. A student at the University of Harvard can work with a faculty member at a paid research assistant position, lead tours for the Admission Office, learn to run a business at the student-operated Harvard Student Agencies and much more. 

The off-campus career opportunities vary depending on the student’s field of study. While a Harvard Medical School can expect to intern or conduct research at Massachusetts General Hospital, an MBA student will work at some of the premium companies. Here’s a list of the job profiles that a Harvard graduate can work for, along with the annual average salary.

• Vice President (VP) Finance: $151,732 (INR 1,13,32,013.38)
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): $135,741 (INR 1,01,37,735.14)
• Private Banker: $70,245 (INR 52,46,205.68)
• Senior Financial Analyst: $81,081 (INR 60,55,485.84)
• Investment Banker: $100,783 (INR 75,26,917.89)
• IT Consultant: $150,000 (INR 1,12,02,660)
• Financial Advisory Consultant: $130,000 (INR 97,08,972)
• Strategy Consultant: $150,000 (INR 1,12,02,660)
• Management Consultant: $149,000 (INR 1,11,27,975.60)
• Information Technology Director: $120,788 (INR 90,20,979.31)
• Senior Product Manager: $125,384 (INR 93,64,228.81)
• Senior Project Manager (IT): $114,822 (INR 85,75,412.18)
• Technical Program Manager: $124,636 (INR 93,08,364.88)

Notable Alumni of the University of Harvard

The University of Harvard has a massive worldwide alumni network of 4,00,000+ graduates, including Pulitzer Prize Winners, Heads of State, Academy Award Recipients and CEOs of corporate heavyweights. Some of the celebrated actors, best-selling authors, intellectuals and scholars have called Harvard their home, which is as follows. 

• John F. Kennedy – 35th President of the United States
• Mark Zuckerburg – CEO and Co-founder of Facebook
• Sheryl Sandberg – Chief Operating Officer at Facebook
• Natalie Portman – Academy Award-winning Israeli-American actress
• Margaret Atwood – Canadian Novelist, poet, and writer of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
• W.E.B. DuBois – American Sociologist and Writer
• Ratan Tata – Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons
• Rahul Bajaj – Chairman of Bajaj Conglomerate
• Anand Mahindra – Chairman, Mahindra Group
• Kapil Sibal – Lawyer and politician, held various portfolios in the Congress government such as HRD, Science and Technology, Law and Justice and IT and Communications.
• P. Chidambaram – Congress leader, former Union Minister
• Jyotiraditya Scindia – MP from Madhya Pradesh
• Mira Nair: Well-known Indian film-maker
• Asish Nanda – Director, IIM Ahmedabad
• Jayant Sinha – Member of Lok Sabha, former Minister of State for Finance

Top USA Universities

University Name	Acceptance Rate	Ranking	University Type
University of Harvard	4%	5	Private
Stanford University	3.90%	5	Private
Purdue University	69.00%	129	Public
Columbia University	7.00%	22	Private
Arizona State University	88.20%	219	Public
Northeastern University	18.00%	388	Private
Yale University	5.30%	14	Private
University of California Los Angeles	10.80%	44	Public
Princeton University	4.40%	16	Private
Cornell University	8.70%	18	Private
New York University	13.00%	39	Private
University of Michigan	20.20%	25	Public
University of Pennsylvania	5.90%	13	Public
University of North Texas	81.40%	1200	Public
Pace University	79.00%	234	Private
Duke University	5.90%	50	Private
University of Cincinnati	84.80%	151	Public
George Mason University	91.00%	1200	Public
Sacred Heart University	66.10%	219	Private
Stevens institute of Technology	53.00%	701	Private
University at Buffalo	70.00%	425	Public
Saint Louis University	58.00%	650	Private
DePaul University	69.00%	137	Private
Cleveland State University	89.00%	1400	Public
University of California	10.80%	21	Public
University of Maryland	52%	164	Public
Northwestern University	7%	32	Private
Brown University	5.50%	63	Private
University of Southern California	12.50%	134	Private
University of Florida	30.10%	188	Public