Harvard University

Founded in 1636, Harvard University holds the distinction of being the oldest higher education institution in the United States. A significant portion of its student body is made up of graduate students, with over 20% coming from international backgrounds. While Harvard’s main campus is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it also has facilities like the Harvard Medical School located in nearby Boston. The university boasts the largest endowment of any academic institution worldwide, and its research spans across more than 100 centers covering a wide array of disciplines.

Harvard consists of the undergraduate college along with 11 other degree-granting schools, including its top-ranked Business School, Graduate School of Education, Law School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. The medical school partners with several major teaching hospitals, such as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Among undergraduates, the most popular majors are social sciences, biology/biological sciences, history, mathematics, and psychology. The academic year follows a semester system, with English as the primary language of instruction.

Most undergrads live on campus all four years—starting near Harvard Yard as freshmen before moving into one of the 12 undergraduate houses. Some graduate housing is also available. The Harvard Library system, the largest academic library in the world, holds roughly 19 million volumes across more than 70 libraries.

University Data

Total number of students: 20,050
Number of international students: 4,924
Total number of academic staff: 2,235
Number of international staff: 516
Number of undergraduate degrees awarded: 1,476
Number of master’s degrees awarded: 4,626
Number of doctoral degrees awarded: 1,444
Number of research-only staff: 1,883
Number of new undergraduate students: 1,401
Number of new master’s students: 3,574
Number of new doctoral students: 1,366

Rankings

Harvard University is ranked #1 in Best Global Universities, with schools evaluated based on widely recognized indicators of excellence.

Global Universities Rankings

#1 in Best Global Universities

Subject Rankings

#27 in Agricultural Sciences
#69 in Artificial Intelligence (tie)
#2 in Arts and Humanities (tie)
#1 in Biology and Biochemistry
#1 in Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
#1 in Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
#1 in Cell Biology
#17 in Chemistry
#1 in Clinical Medicine
#23 in Computer Science (tie)
#36 in Condensed Matter Physics
#39 in Ecology (tie)
#1 in Economics and Business
#18 in Education and Educational Research
#127 in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
#1 in Endocrinology and Metabolism
#120 in Energy and Fuels
#48 in Engineering
#174 in Environmental Engineering (tie)
#7 in Environment/Ecology
#92 in Food Science and Technology (tie)
#2 in Gastroenterology and Hepatology
#15 in Geosciences
#1 in Immunology
#3 in Infectious Diseases
#15 in Materials Science
#5 in Mathematics
#21 in Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
#1 in Microbiology
#1 in Molecular Biology and Genetics
#37 in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
#1 in Neuroscience and Behavior
#1 in Oncology
#2 in Optics
#1 in Pharmacology and Toxicology
#56 in Physical Chemistry
#2 in Physics
#22 in Plant and Animal Science
#87 in Polymer Science
#1 in Psychiatry/Psychology
#1 in Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
#1 in Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
#1 in Social Sciences and Public Health
#2 in Space Science
#1 in Surgery

2024-2025 Indicator Rankings

Thirteen indicators were used to determine Harvard’s overall Best Global Universities rank. Below is how it performed in each category:

Global Universities: #1 in Best Global Universities
Global score: 100
Global research reputation: #1
Regional research reputation: #1
Publications: #1
Books: #3
Conferences: #68
Normalized citation impact: #29