Harvard University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Harvard University is a private nonprofit college in Cambridge, MA. Students pay about $19,066 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $101,817 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 1.6 years and adds $460,906 over a decade, ranking it #11 of 918 (top 2%) by value added.
What is Harvard University's acceptance rate?
Harvard University has an acceptance rate of 3.6%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Cambridge, MA enrolling about 7,601 students, with a 97.5% graduation rate.
How much does Harvard University cost?
Harvard University costs about $19,066 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $90,264. Published sticker cost of attendance is $85,540 per year.
How much do Harvard University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Harvard University student earns $101,817 per year. That is $55,117 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Harvard University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Harvard University pays back its roughly $90,264 cost in about 1.6 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $460,906 net of cost, a 6.11x return on the money invested. That ranks it #11 of 918 (top 2%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Harvard University graduation rate and student debt
97.5% of Harvard University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $14,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 14% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Harvard University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Harvard University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $19,066 | $20,299 | cheaper than 55% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $101,817 | $54,768 | 98th |
| Graduation rate | 97.5% | 57.0% | 100th |
| Acceptance rate | 3.6% | 75.7% | more selective than 100% |
| 10-yr value added | $460,906 | -$28,192 | 99th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 6.11x | 0.73x | 99th |
| Payback period | 1.6 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 99% |
How Harvard University compares with its nearest rivals
Harvard University ranks #11 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 1 of them costs less per year and 5 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Harvard University is a private nonprofit college in Cambridge, MA with 7,601 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $85,540 a year, but the average aided family pays $19,066, a 78% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $14,000, equal to 14% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Harvard University: 3.6% of applicants are admitted.
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA; #10 of 918; 93.2% graduate) costs $6,950 less per year ($12,116 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($102,772). Georgia Institute of Technology adds $29,678 more ten-year value than Harvard University. Georgia Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 1.3 years.
- University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA; #10 of 918; 96.7% graduate) costs $9,633 more per year ($28,699 net), and its graduates earn $9,554 more ten years out ($111,371). University of Pennsylvania adds $55,293 more ten-year value than Harvard University. University of Pennsylvania pays back its cost in 2 years.
- Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, CA; #12 of 918; 93.3% graduate) costs $9,783 more per year ($28,849 net), and its graduates earn $2,919 more ten years out ($104,736). Harvard University adds $9,442 more ten-year value than Claremont McKenna College. Claremont McKenna College pays back its cost in 2.2 years.
- Bentley University (Waltham, MA; #9 of 918; 87.5% graduate) costs $18,864 more per year ($37,930 net), and its graduates earn $19,142 more ten years out ($120,959). Bentley University adds $104,941 more ten-year value than Harvard University. Bentley University pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
- Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, NY; #13 of 918; 95.5% graduate) costs $2,524 more per year ($21,590 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($102,491). Harvard University adds $10,856 more ten-year value than Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia University in the City of New York pays back its cost in 1.9 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley University | #9 | $37,930 | $120,959 | 87.5% | $565,847 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | #10 | $12,116 | $102,772 | 93.2% | $490,584 |
| University of Pennsylvania | #10 | $28,699 | $111,371 | 96.7% | $516,199 |
| Harvard University | #11 | $19,066 | $101,817 | 97.5% | $460,906 |
| Claremont McKenna College | #12 | $28,849 | $104,736 | 93.3% | $451,464 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | #13 | $21,590 | $102,491 | 95.5% | $450,050 |
Paying for Harvard University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Harvard University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Harvard University ranks #11 of 918 (top 2%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 6.11x the money invested over a decade.
Is Harvard University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $19,066 average net price is below the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 55% of them.
Do Harvard University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $101,817 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 98% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Harvard University compared to other colleges?
Its 3.6% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 100% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.