Harvard Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Harvard University Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Harvard University to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Harvard University (Harvard)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Harvard's acceptance rate is 3.65% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 54,008 students applied and 1,970 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into Harvard.

To apply to Harvard, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is required to be considered.

Harvard's acceptance rate is the lowest among 64 Massachusetts colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1550 and the ACT score is 35 at Harvard. Harvard's SAT score is 2nd highest among 41 Massachusetts colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Harvard's yield rate is 83.60%, which is significantly higher by 20.88 percentage points (approximately 33.3% higher) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10% (average yield: 62.72%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Harvard at colleges with acceptance rates lower than 10%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Harvard's acceptance rate is 3.65% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 83.60%. 25,613 men and 28,372 women applied to Harvard and 920 men and 1,050 women students were accepted.

Among them, 767 men and 880 women were enrolled in Harvard. You can explore the Harvard's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Harvard
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	54,008	25,613	28,372	0	0
Admitted	1,970	920	1,050	0	0
Enrolled	1,647	767	880	0	0
Acceptance Rate	3.65%	3.59%	3.70%	-	-
Yield	83.60%	83.37%	83.81%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Harvard University 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 892 students (54% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 321 students (19% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Harvard.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,550, including 760 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 790 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 780 and the 25th percentile is 740. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 800 and the 25th percentile is 770.

The median ACT composite score is 35, with a 75th percentile score of 36 and a 25th percentile score of 34 at Harvard. The median ACT Math score is 35 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is Harvard's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Harvard University are relatively high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,497, ACT: 34 - private (not-for-profit) research university with very high research activity).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Harvard
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,510	1,550	1,580
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	740	760	780
SAT Math	770	790	800
ACT Composite	34	35	36
ACT Math	32	35	36
ACT English	35	35	36

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Harvard University 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School Record (or Transcript), Recommendations, SAT / ACT, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is required to be considered in admission process at Harvard. The english proficiency test is not required, but considered.

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Harvard University.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Harvard Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Considered, if submitted
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Considered, if submitted
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Considered, if submitted
SAT / ACT	Required
English Proficiency Test	Considered, if submitted
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Considered, if submitted
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Considered, if submitted

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Harvard:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: college.harvard.edu/admissions
Online Application: college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-requirements
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: No credits accepted
Degree Offered: 1-Year Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master, Post-Master Certificate, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Harvard?

Harvard is extremely competitive to get into, with an acceptance rate of 3.65%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Harvard?

Yes, Harvard requires applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of the admission process. The average SAT score required for admission to Harvard is 1,550, and the average ACT score is 35. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Harvard require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Harvard requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Harvard admission?

Yes, Harvard requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

Harvard does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Harvard requires applicants to submit high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Harvard recommends submitting an English proficiency test for international applicants, but it is not strictly required.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Harvard?

The institutional SAT code for Harvard is 3434 and 4-digit ACT code is 1845.