Address: Massachusetts Hall, 02138 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Law, Medicine, Business, Public Policy, Sciences, Humanities
Harvard University was founded in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and it took the name of the clergyman John Harvard in 1639, after he left it his library and half of his estate. It is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The main campus occupies about 209 acres in Cambridge, Massachusetts, around Harvard Yard, while the business school and new science and engineering buildings stand in Allston, and the medical campus lies in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston.
In the autumn of 2024 the university enrolled about 21,200 students, roughly 7,000 undergraduates and 14,000 graduate and professional students, with about 2,400 faculty members and some 16,000 staff and faculty overall. Harvard College, the undergraduate division, is organised around residential Houses. The graduate and professional schools include Medicine, Law, Business, Public Health, Education, Design, Divinity, Dental Medicine, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Kennedy School of Government.
Several schools hold records. Harvard Medical School dates from 1782, Harvard Law School from 1817, and Harvard Business School, created in 1908, was among the first to offer a master of business administration. The Harvard Library holds more than twenty million volumes, with Widener Library as its centre, and the Harvard Art Museums, the Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum are open to the public. Harvard has headed the ShanghaiRanking list since its first edition in 2003.
The university has the largest endowment of any academic institution, which funds research and need-based aid. Harvard does not award merit scholarships, and families pay according to their income. Check the current tariff for tuition and fees. Alumni include John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama and the poet T. S. Eliot. Teaching is in English.
Cambridge is a compact city with a large student population, served by the Red Line subway at Harvard Square. First-year undergraduates live on or near Harvard Yard, and housing for graduate students is limited and expensive.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Affiliated teaching hospitals in the Boston area, the Broad Institute with MIT, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and partnerships with universities and institutions worldwide. Member of the Ivy League.
Research:
One of the largest research enterprises in higher education, with work in medicine and public health, life sciences, physics and astrophysics, engineering and applied sciences, economics, government and the humanities, supported by one of the largest academic libraries in the world.
Famous Alumnis:
John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, T. S. Eliot
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
16000
Current students***:
21200
Foreign students***:
25%
Cumulative former students***:
400000
Pros
Oldest higher-education institution in the United States, very large endowment and need-based financial aid, outstanding libraries and museums, access to researchers in almost every discipline, global alumni network.
Cons
Extremely selective admissions, high cost of living in the Boston area, large graduate schools that can feel separate from the undergraduate college, high tuition before aid.
Best For
Students and researchers seeking the broadest academic range in the United States, from medicine and law to science and the humanities, with a worldwide network.
The comparison with Yale University is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on chemistry, statistics and physics, and it covers ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 15,500 students against roughly 21,200 here.
On content, Emory University and this institution are close, as both teach chemistry, statistics and mathematics; it is also a private institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
For students who like the statistics, physics and mathematics focus of this institution but want another option nearby, University of Chicago fits well: it is slightly smaller, at about 18,000 students against roughly 21,200 here, and is also a private institution.
Stanford University overlaps with this university on bioengineering, physics and life sciences, so the two are easy to compare, and it covers software engineering as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 17,800 students against roughly 21,200 here.
For students who like the statistics, life sciences and data analytics focus of this university but want another option nearby, Georgetown University fits well: it covers finance and project management as well, and has almost the same size, at about 20,031 students.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Looking internationally, Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong is where chemistry, statistics and physics get a comparable treatment; it covers finance as well, and has almost the same size, at about 21,110 students.
In South Korea, Yonsei University teaches much the same core subjects, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is also a private institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
If this university is on your list for chemistry, physics and mathematics, National University of Singapore in Singapore deserves a comparison, because it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers finance and materials as well.
Abroad, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong) covers chemistry, physics and mathematics in a comparable way, and it is public, whereas this university is private, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
For a study option in New Zealand with a comparable spread of chemistry, statistics and physics, University of Auckland is the reference point: it covers software engineering as well, and is larger, enrolling about 39,183 students against roughly 21,200 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Harvard University?
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston.
When was it founded?
In 1636, by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Why is it called Harvard?
It was named in 1639 after the clergyman John Harvard, who left it his library and half of his estate.
How large is it?
About 21,200 students, roughly 7,000 undergraduates and 14,000 graduate and professional students, with about 2,400 faculty members.
Which schools does it have?
Among others Medicine, Law, Business, Public Health, Education, Design, Divinity, Dental Medicine, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Kennedy School.
What is the Harvard Library?
One of the largest academic library systems in the world, with more than twenty million volumes and Widener Library at its centre.
Which presidents studied there?
Among others John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.
Where is its rank in the ShanghaiRanking?
Harvard has headed the list since its first edition in 2003.
Does Harvard award merit scholarships?
No. Aid is need-based, and families pay according to their income. Check the current tariff.
How do you reach the campus by public transport?
By the Red Line subway to Harvard Square.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biology, Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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