Harvard University SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
At Harvard, test-optional does not mean test-irrelevant: more than half of enrolled students submitted SAT scores, and the middle range starts at 1510. Your clearest target is the low 1500s at minimum, with 1550+ giving you stronger footing, or a 34 to 36 on the ACT.
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?
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
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
November 7, 2026
Registration deadline: October 23, 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 spring of junior year, then use the summer before senior year and fall for retakes that could improve a superscore. For Harvard’s November 1 Early Action deadline, an October retake is typically the last fall sitting likely to arrive in time.
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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
Columbia University
New York, NYAcceptance rate: 3.9%
SAT: 1510–1560
ACT: 34–36
Yale University
New Haven, CTAcceptance rate: 3.9%
SAT: 1480–1560
ACT: 33–35
Princeton University
Princeton, NJAcceptance rate: 4.6%
SAT: 1500–1560
ACT: 34–35
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MAAcceptance rate: 4.5%
SAT: 1520–1570
ACT: 34–36
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