Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $48,312 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $24K more than the national median. The 56% who received grants paid $17,525 on average; the other 44% paid the full sticker price of $86,705.
- Full price
- $86,705 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Published data end at $110K
- use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
- Merit aid
- None
- all grants are need-based
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- The college's published promise (2025–26 policy)
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $9K a year |
| $30–48K | $3K a year |
| $48–75K | $2K a year |
| $75–110K | $10K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: Harvard University says it doesn't count it.
$48,312
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
56% got grants averaging $68,015; 44% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$14K
≈ $148/month for 10 years
1.9 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
Very few undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full20–24%
- Paying it down20–24%
- Payments paused25–33%
- Not paying it down15–19%
- Behind or in default0–10%
- Forgiven or discharged0–5%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
GenerousGrants cover 44% of the $86,705 full price on average across all first-years (generous), more than at 61% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.
$38,393 in grants per first-year ÷ $86,705 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (1,644), 2023–24
About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $86,705.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (1,644)
- Federal aid + grants384avg grant $73.6K
- Grants, no federal aid544avg grant $64.1K
- No grants716pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (425 of 1,644), because income is only reported for them.
From Harvard University's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | – | 56%3,950 students |
| Need met, on average | – | 100% |
| Need fully met | – | 100% |
| Average aid package | $75,166 | $74,285 |
| Average need-based grant | $72,749 | $71,448 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,459 | $3,781 |
| Merit aid without need | – | 0%average $4,728 |
0% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Families who own a business or farm also file a .
Priority date: February 1 · Aid offers: about April 1 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | not marked | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni connection | not marked | ✓ |
| Art | not marked | ✓ |
| Athletics | not marked | ✓ |
| Job skills | not marked | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
In the college's words:
“Beginning in the 25-26 school year, Harvard College will be free to families with typical assets and annual incomes under $100,000. For those with typical assets and incomes under $200,000, the cost of tuition will be covered. Many families at other income levels will also receive aid depending on their individual circumstances.”Harvard University Common Data Set
International students
Need-based aid offered.
International applicants file: the CSS Profile, another form ().
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Harvard University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;Harvard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Harvard University (2025–26), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)