Quad
Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (13% of graduates). 7 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 92% of colleges. 87% of faculty are full-time. Spends $51,780 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

2,158 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 43% of graduates; 51 programs in 16 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 45.060313% 278
    Graduates in this field earn $155,592 4 years out
  2. Computer Science 11.070110% 224
    Graduates in this field earn $203,169 4 years out
  3. Social Sciences, General 45.01017.3% 157
    Graduates in this field earn $78,996 4 years out
  4. Political Science and Government, General 45.10016.5% 141
    Graduates in this field earn $95,838 4 years out
  5. Applied Mathematics, General 27.03016.3% 137
    Graduates in this field earn $170,689 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Computer science, 5.5% → 10% of graduates since 2014–15 (225 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Statistics$230,876 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $141,116

    4 years after completion$230,876
    National median: $92,425Above typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 113 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Computer Science$203,169 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $152,251

    4 years after completion$203,169
    National median: $107,009Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $258,619 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 356 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Applied Mathematics$170,689 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $114,279

    4 years after completion$170,689
    National median: $91,532Above typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 200 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Economics$155,592 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $103,993

    4 years after completion$155,592
    National median: $82,686Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $128,384 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $6,617 · 444 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$117,816 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $51,569

    4 years after completion$117,816
    National median: $66,697Above typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 150 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college7 to 1
7 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 92% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 11 to 1 in its Common Data Set (11,254 students, 1,007 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

74%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 12% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–948245%
10–1930328%
20–29848%
30–39424%
40–49283%
50–99787%
100+495%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Cross-registration
  • Double major
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Student-designed major
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in English composition, a foreign language, history, humanities, math, philosophy, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty87%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$223,353

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$51,780
$51,780
← Lessmore than 98% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$1,742,218
$1,742,218
← Lessmore than 99% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Harvard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Harvard University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)