Harvard University

Overview of Harvard University

---

Not only do Harvard students work hard at their studies, but they also find time to recreate and expand their college experience through engaging physical and social endeavors. For instance, there are vigorous flow yoga classes available on the campus Plaza, strengthening equipment in the gym, and lots to do in the Malkin Athletic Center. The MAC offers students a list of cardio machines, indoor swimming for laps and recreational swims, three basketball courts, and more. Then there's the Murr Center that includes both squash and tennis courts. Harvard students also enjoy the campus hockey arena, sailing center, indoor track, 18-court tennis center, and a boathouse for those on the Crew squad.

Top Rankings For Harvard University

---

Harvard Acceptance Rate and Admissions

---

Harvard Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

---

Harvard's level of academic excellence is not without a stiff price tag. Given that it's a private university in an expensive urban environment, students need to be prepared for a high gross price tag. In fact, a year of tuition, room and board will run upwards of $58,000. Given the high value of the academics at Harvard, most find that the price is worth it. Once living costs are tallied, a year in Cambridge will cost up to $84,000. Interestingly, Harvard didn't report figures for off-campus living, but it's assumed that their living quarters are more than ample.

These figures are adjusted once the financial aid office applies grants and scholarships. In fact, the average net cost for a year at Harvard is under $20,000. This figure plummets for the lowest income students, who face an average net cost of only $6,000, which is less than tuition at many community colleges. Households that earn over $110,000 pay around $53,000.

Sticker Price

---

Academics

---

Harvard is universally known for world-class academics. Students from all over the world compete for a position in each year's entering cohort, and a degree from here is seen as conveying instant high status in most places. Thus, Harvard's reputation is nothing short of spotless. Nevertheless, our researchers were interested in investigating the school's academic statistics to verify its reputation.

To that end, they pulled the retention and graduation rates to see how many Harvard students stick around. The retention rate measures how many of Harvard's first-time, full-time students return for their second year. Since 96% of all incoming students return for their second year, it's clear that they, and their families, are satisfied with what Harvard has to offer. In fact, it's hard to find many schools that come near to this number, though most are also privately funded.

When it comes to graduation rates, Harvard reports that an unheard-of 98% walk across the Cambridge stage for their sheepskin. This is another incredible statistic in higher education, though it's more common among private colleges and universities. Thus, our researchers were able to verify that all the hype surrounding Harvard education is probably well founded.

Student Population Total

---

Outcome & Salary

---

Harvard students have high expectations for their earnings and career outlook. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to salaries or job opportunities, researchers sought reported salary data from alumni. They found that the top-earning degree program was Harvard's computer science department, whose graduates report median earnings above $250,000. Meanwhile, the fifth highest earning students were from the political science department, who report a median entry-level salary of $90,000. Of the top five, the median wage was $125,000, as reported by the economics students. These salaries were not only reflective of an entry-level position, but also don't factor in other forms of compensation, such as bonuses and benefits.

Photos & Videos

---