Harvard: the complete school report for parents
It does not consider demonstrated interest and class rank, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. With a 4.2% admit rate and 75% of enrolled students at a 4.0 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Statistics graduates earn a median $229,811 against $64,155 for English Language and Literature, General.
Harvard is officially Harvard University. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
What does Harvard actually weigh in admissions?
Harvard rates none of the 18 factors "Very Important". It does not consider 4 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Harvard's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Harvard rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Considered |
| GPA | Considered |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Considered |
| extracurricular activities | Considered |
| recommendations | Considered |
| personal qualities | Considered |
| talent | Considered |
| class rank | Not Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Harvard consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider GPA?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider the application essay?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider extracurricular activities?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider recommendation letters?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider character and personal qualities?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider a special talent or ability?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider class rank?
No. Harvard does not consider it. A school that does not rank its students is not a disadvantage.
Does Harvard consider demonstrated interest?
No. Harvard does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Harvard consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does Harvard consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Harvard consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider state residency?
No. Harvard does not consider it.
Does Harvard consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvard consider religious affiliation?
No. Harvard does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
75% of enrolled students had a 4.0 GPA or above. The average was 4.22 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.1% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 74.7% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 20.38% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 3.49% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 0.98% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 0.18% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 0.18% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0.09% |
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Harvard admitted 0.6% of 2,042 transfer applicants, against 4.2% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Harvard reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | January 1 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | March 31 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | Yes (Restrictive) |
| Early Action deadline | November 1 |
| Application fee | $90 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Harvard actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $19,066 a year at Harvard after grants and scholarships. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 4 merit awards averaging $4,728 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
16% of Harvard graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $22,926 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $148 a month in repayment. Harvard’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Harvard pay off?
Graduates earn a median $101,817 ten years after entering, and $99,572 at six years. 89% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 71% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$229,811 to $64,155, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Harvard:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | $229,811 | 61 |
| Computer Science | $219,550 | 173 |
| Applied Mathematics | $178,318 | 80 |
| Economics | $161,251 | 186 |
| Political Science and Government | $117,484 | 121 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $102,305 | 66 |
| History | $94,015 | 139 |
| Sociology | $89,947 | 42 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $87,380 | 75 |
| Social Sciences, General | $76,293 | 195 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $75,342 | 86 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $64,155 | 34 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
98% of first-years return for a second year. 97% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 96.1% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 97.3% of everyone else, a gap of 1.2 points.
How big are the classes?
74% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 5% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1, and 87% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at Harvard like?
6,738 undergraduates, 86% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 97% across all undergraduates. 26% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $76,879.
What this means for your student
- 75% of enrolled students are at a 4.0 GPA or above, averaging 4.22. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Its highest-earning major returns $229,811 five years out against $64,155 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Harvard
What GPA do you need for Harvard?
75% of enrolled students at Harvard had a high school GPA of 4.0 or above, and the average was 4.22, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What do Harvard graduates earn?
Harvard graduates earn a median $101,817 ten years after entering, and 89% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Harvard
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Harvard’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.