National University Rankings

Summary Harvard University is a private institution that was founded in 1636. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,641 and its setting is urban. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Harvard University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 1. Its tuition and fees are $39,849 (2011-12). Harvard is located in Cambridge, Mass., just outside of Boston. Harvard’s extensive library system houses the oldest collection in the United States and the largest private collection in the world. There is more to the school than endless stacks, though: Harvard’s athletic teams compete in the Ivy League, and every football season ends with "The Game," an annual matchup between storied rivals Harvard and Yale. At Harvard, on—campus residential housing is an integral part of student life. Freshmen live around the Harvard Yard at the center of campus, after which they are placed in one of 12 undergraduate houses for their remaining three years. Although they are no longer recognized by the university as official student groups, the eight all-male "final clubs" serve as social organizations for some undergraduate students; Harvard also has five female clubs. In addition to the College, Harvard is comprised of 13 other schools and institutes, including the top-ranked Business School and Medical School and the highly ranked Graduate Education School, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Law School, and John F. Kennedy School of Government. Eight U.S. presidents graduated from Harvard College, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Other notable alumni include Henry David Thoreau, Helen Keller, Yo-Yo Ma, and Tommy Lee Jones. In 1977, Harvard signed an agreement with sister institute Radcliffe College, uniting them in an educational partnership serving male and female students, although they did not officially merge until 1999. Harvard also has the largest endowment of any school in the world. School mission (as provided by the school): N/A General Information School type private, coed college Year founded 1636 Religious affiliation N/A Academic calendar semester Setting urban 2010 Endowment $27,557,404,000 Applying When applying to Harvard University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due March 6. The application fee at Harvard University is $75. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 7.2 percent. For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center. Selectivity most selective Fall 2010 acceptance rate 7% Application deadline January 1 SAT/ACT scores must be received by March 6 More About Applying Academic Life The student-faculty ratio at Harvard University is 7:1, and the school has 79.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Harvard University include: Economics, General; Political Science and Government, General; History, General; Political Science and Government, General; and Sociology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 97.2 percent. Class sizes Student-faculty ratio 7:1 4-year graduation rate 87% - High Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates Economics, General 17% Political Science and Government, General 8% History, General 6% Political Science and Government, General 6% Sociology 5% More About Academic Life Student Life Harvard University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,641, with a gender distribution of 50.0 percent male students and 50.0 percent female students. Harvard University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. See what students are saying about life at Harvard University. Total enrollment 19,627 Student gender distribution Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity N/A Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority N/A Collegiate athletic association NCAA I More About Student Life Campus Info & Services Harvard University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Harvard University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Harvard University. Students who have cars on campus N/A Health insurance offered Yes Students required to own/lease a computer No More About Campus Info & Services Paying for School At Harvard University, 61.5 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $39,156. Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs. Tuition and fees $39,849 (2011-12) Room and board $12,801 (2011-12) - High Financial aid statistics More About Paying for School Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo Life is alright. As a computer science major, I probably spend more time cooped up doing work than other people. I like the house system. It's great to have upperclassmen living on campus, and the system does a good job of fostering a sense of community. Cambridge is a fantastic city to live in. I don't think you can really do much better in terms of location, unless you absolutely can't stand cold weather. Anything you could possibly want is nearby and the T is an incredibly convenient public transportation system. You wouldn't want to be driving around Boston, anyway. Some people complain about the party scene, other people seem to be pretty happy with it. To be honset, I don't party, so I really can't judge. Greg Junior Very grueling (academically for science majors, extracurricularly for humanities majors.) Everything is a constant competition, which grows tiring. Mike Junior The best thing about Harvard is the different types of people here. Like everyone has a different view on everything and everyone is passionate about something and willing to learn about other things. It seems like everyone is here to get something out of college. I think Harvard is just the right size and I love the sense of community that groups and clubs create. People usually try not to freak out when I tell I go to Harvard and it becomes awkward. Sometimes they do freak out and it still becomes awkward. It's just...always awkward. I love the fact that there are other schools around so that you can assert your superiority. Haha, just kidding. But it's great to have other schools cuz you can mix it up and go to their parties and take them to your parties.