Harvard University

Quick Facts

Top-ranked Ivy League university

Location

Cambridge, MA

Degrees

Certificates, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate

Popular Majors

Business, Science,  Education, Medicine, Public Health, Public Administration, Law, Psychology, Architecture

Total Students

Undergrad Students

31,566

9,915

Tuition

Room and Board

$53,948
(Undergraduate)

$52,816
(Average Graduate)

$17,160

Selectivity

 Average Net Price *

High

$17,950

Distance from Boston

School Website

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School Website

* Average Net Price is is the actual average cost to students for attending the college.  This is calculated by adding the cost of attendance (tuition, fees and room and board where applicable) and subtracting the average amount of federal, state/local government, or institutional grant or scholarship.

 Harvard University is probably the most acclaimed Ivy League university in the country.  Established in 1636, it is the oldest institution of higher learning. Eight U.S. presidents have been graduates, and 144 Nobel Laureates have been students, faculty or staff affiliates. Harvard's endowment of some $36 billion is the largest of any university in the world.

Harvard University is organized into 11 schools including the Arts and Sciences,  Business, Law, and Medical schools. The School offers comprehensive bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs as well as post-grad certificates. It also provides continuing education programs through the Harvard Extension School.
 
The four-year, full-time undergraduate program emphasizes instruction with an "arts and sciences focus". Undergraduate students are required to complete courses in eight general education categories: Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding, Culture and Belief, Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning, Ethical Reasoning, Science of Living Systems, Science of the Physical Universe, Societies of the World and United States in the World.
 
One of the foundations of the undergraduate experience at Harvard is the house system. Ninety-seven percent of all undergraduates live in one of the 12 residential Houses. A 13th House, Dudley House, serves non-residents and includes graduate student members. Each House accommodates 350-500 students with its own dining hall, common rooms, and facilities for academic, recreational, and cultural activities. The Houses maintain robust cultural and social opportunities. Houses are home to their own film, music, art and drama that range from small-scale jam sessions to a full opera. In addition, Houses also field a variety of sports teams that compete in an intramural program. A variety of social functions such as Masters’ Open Houses, formal dances and coffee hours provide students an opportunity to relax and interact with members of their House community.
 
Harvard’s athletic teams compete in the Ivy League, and every football season ends with "The Game," an annual match-up between storied rivals Harvard and Yale. The school offers twenty different sports for both men and women, including baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, field hockey, tennis, skiing and more.   
 
Harvard's 210-acre main campus is centered on Harvard Yard in Cambridge and extends into the surrounding Harvard Square neighborhood. The Harvard MBTA station provides public transportation via bus service and the Red Line subway. The school is steps away from Harvard Square with many options in entertainment, shopping, and cultural venues.