Harvard University SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
Test-optional does not lower the academic benchmark at Harvard: 19% of enrolled students submitted ACT scores, and the middle range is 34–36. Your testing goal is clear: aim for the top of the ACT scale while keeping your grades near Harvard’s 4.21 average.
Data on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Harvard University facts and stats
Harvard University enrolls 7,038 undergraduates in an urban campus setting. Harvard has a 98% freshman retention rate, well above the national average of roughly 70%. Its 6-year graduation rate is 98%, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 7:1.
Cambridge, MA
How do your scores compare at Harvard?
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Key Harvard University application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
January 1
Early Action
November 1
Early Decision
Not offered
Priority Deadline
—
Financial Aid Priority
February 1
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you choose to submit scores to test-optional Harvard, plan to take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year, then use the summer before senior year and the fall of senior year for retakes. For the November 1 Early Action deadline, an October retake is typically the last fall test whose scores can arrive in time, with earlier retakes giving you more room to improve or superscore.
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What you'll actually pay
Harvard’s tuition and fees are $61,676. Harvard is a private not-for-profit, so the same rate applies to all students. About 56% receive aid, with an average merit award of $6,000; submit the FAFSA by the February 1 priority deadline.
Harvard’s listed cost of attendance is about $82,866 for tuition, fees, room, and board. About 56% of students receive aid, with an average aid package of $74,387, which can substantially reduce the amount families pay. The average merit award is $6,000. Students graduate with an average debt of $22,262.
Student life at Harvard University
97% of undergrads live on campus
No fraternity or sorority life on campus.
Similar schools
Cambridge College Global
Boston, MAAmerican International College
Springfield, MAAcceptance rate: 99.6%
Amherst College
Amherst, MAAcceptance rate: 9%
SAT: 1500–1560
ACT: 33–35
Anna Maria College
Paxton, MAAcceptance rate: 50.1%
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