First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Restrictive early action Apply early and hear early, but you usually cannot apply early to other private colleges. Not binding. | November 1, 2026 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 1, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: college.harvard.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 242 |
| Computer Science | 184 |
| Social Sciences | 163 |
| Political Science and Government | 139 |
| Applied Mathematics | 128 |
| Neuroscience | 88 |
| Evolutionary Biology | 73 |
| Experimental Psychology | 69 |
Show the other 40 majors
| History | 58 |
| History and Philosophy of Science and Technology | 53 |
| Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology | 50 |
| Physics | 49 |
| Mathematics | 48 |
| Natural Sciences | 46 |
| Statistics | 46 |
| English Language and Literature | 40 |
| Engineering Science | 40 |
| Sociology | 39 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 33 |
| Developmental Biology and Embryology | 32 |
| History, Other | 30 |
| Chemistry | 28 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 20 |
| Philosophy | 20 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 20 |
| Environmental Studies | 19 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 18 |
| Anthropology | 15 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 13 |
| Linguistics | 12 |
| Chemical Physics | 11 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 10 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 10 |
| Chemistry, Other | 9 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other | 8 |
| Comparative Literature | 8 |
| Women's Studies | 8 |
| Planetary Astronomy and Science | 6 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 |
| East Asian Studies | 5 |
| Near and Middle Eastern Studies | 4 |
| Music | 4 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 2 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 2 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 2 |
| South Asian Studies | 1 |
| Folklore Studies | 1 |
| Neurobiology and Anatomy | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where Harvard University ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #1 for Biologyof 50 colleges
- #1 for Ecology and environmental biologyof 50 colleges
- #1 for Economicsof 50 colleges
- #1 for Neuroscienceof 50 colleges
- #1 for Statisticsof 50 colleges
- #2 for Physicsof 50 colleges
- #5 for Chemistryof 50 colleges
- #5 for Software engineeringof 50 colleges
Show the other 4 ranked programs
- #6 for Mathematicsof 50 colleges
- #12 for Computer scienceof 50 colleges
- #22 for Biomedical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #25 for Electrical engineeringof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Ivy League
Baseball, Basketball, Fencing, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Rowing, Sailing, Skiing, Soccer, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Ivy League
Basketball, Fencing, Field Hockey, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Other Sports, Rowing, Sailing, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball, Water Polo
ROTC
Air Force, Army, Navy
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection
Also
Study abroad
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), harvardci.com · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, midsize
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
5,025,517 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS)
Nearest hub airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 15.3 of 20
Elevation
27 ft
Time zone
Eastern
January low
19°F
July high
85°F
Annual snowfall
49.2 in
Days at 90°F or higher
20 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$3,610 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Lesley University0 mi
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology2 mi
- Boston University2 mi
- Tufts University2 mi
- Cambridge College2 mi
- Berklee College of Music2 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- Columbia University in the City of New York9,111 students
- Northwestern University9,157 students
- University of Dayton8,176 students
- California Baptist University8,110 students
- Boston College10,083 students
- Tulane University of Louisiana8,077 students