The average acceptance rate at Harvard over the past 10 years is 4.49%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 3.65%. Harvard maintains an extremely selective admissions process, making it very difficult for applicants to be admitted.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 80.93%, and the 2025 yield is 83.60%. Overall, the yield has increased by 4.76% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Harvard applicants decreased by 5.14% (2,929 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 44.77% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 3.65%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that Harvard maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 83.60%. This rising yield trend demonstrates that Harvard is increasingly successful at converting admitted students into enrolled students. An increasing yield rate suggests stronger student preference for Harvard and indicates that the institution's admitted class quality and perceived value continue to improve.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Harvard received approximately 54,008 applications, admitted 1,970 students, and enrolled 1,647 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Harvard is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Harvard 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Harvard over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 4.49%, while the most recent rate stands at 3.65%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 3.65%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 4.48% and for women is 4.49%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Harvard have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 5.58% | 5.54% | 5.61% |
| 2016-17 | 5.40% -0.17% |
5.49% -0.05% |
5.31% -0.30% |
| 2017-18 | 5.16% -0.25% |
5.22% -0.27% |
5.09% -0.22% |
| 2018-19 | 4.73% -0.42% |
4.76% -0.46% |
4.71% -0.38% |
| 2019-20 | 4.64% -0.10% |
4.64% -0.12% |
4.63% -0.08% |
| 2020-21 | 5.01% 0.37% |
4.86% 0.22% |
5.15% 0.52% |
| 2021-22 | 4.00% -1.01% |
4.00% -0.86% |
4.00% -1.15% |
| 2022-23 | 3.24% -0.76% |
3.24% -0.76% |
3.24% -0.76% |
| 2023-24 | 3.45% 0.21% |
3.48% 0.24% |
3.43% 0.19% |
| 2024-25 | 3.65% 0.20% |
3.59% 0.12% |
3.70% 0.27% |
| Average | 4.49% | 4.48% | 4.49% |
Harvard has demonstrated an improvement in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has increased from 79.81% in 2015 to 83.60% in 2025, representing a 4.76% increase. The 10-year average yield stands at 80.93%, reflecting strengthening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Harvard from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has increased by 4.76% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 79.81% | 78.82% | 80.88% |
| 2016-17 | 78.82% -0.99% |
79.78% 0.96% |
77.79% -3.09% |
| 2017-18 | 82.82% 4.00% |
82.28% 2.51% |
83.37% 5.58% |
| 2018-19 | 81.67% -1.15% |
82.51% 0.23% |
80.83% -2.54% |
| 2019-20 | 82.08% 0.41% |
82.56% 0.05% |
81.60% 0.77% |
| 2020-21 | 69.83% -12.25% |
69.20% -13.36% |
70.41% -11.19% |
| 2021-22 | 84.03% 14.21% |
84.06% 14.86% |
84.01% 13.60% |
| 2022-23 | 82.96% -1.07% |
81.50% -2.56% |
84.20% 0.19% |
| 2023-24 | 83.72% 0.75% |
83.70% 2.20% |
83.73% -0.47% |
| 2024-25 | 83.60% -0.11% |
83.37% -0.33% |
83.81% 0.08% |
| Average | 80.93% | 80.78% | 81.06% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 47,213, the average number of admitted is 2,051, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 1,660.
The number of Harvard applicants decreased by 5.14% (2,929 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 44.77% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Harvard University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 37,307 | 2,080 | 1,660 |
| 2016-17 | 39,041 4.65% |
2,110 1.44% |
1,663 0.18% |
| 2017-18 | 39,506 1.19% |
2,037 -3.46% |
1,687 1.44% |
| 2018-19 | 42,749 8.21% |
2,024 -0.64% |
1,653 -2.02% |
| 2019-20 | 43,330 1.36% |
2,009 -0.74% |
1,649 -0.24% |
| 2020-21 | 40,248 -7.11% |
2,015 0.30% |
1,407 -14.68% |
| 2021-22 | 57,786 43.57% |
2,311 14.69% |
1,942 38.02% |
| 2022-23 | 61,221 5.94% |
1,984 -14.15% |
1,646 -15.24% |
| 2023-24 | 56,937 -7.00% |
1,965 -0.96% |
1,645 -0.06% |
| 2024-25 | 54,008 -5.14% |
1,970 0.25% |
1,647 0.12% |
| Average | 47,213 | 2,051 | 1,660 |
The following table compares Harvard University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | 3.45% | 3.65% | 5.80% |
| Dartmouth College | 5.40% | 6.23% | -13.32% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | 3.99% | 4.23% | -5.67% |
| Princeton University | 4.62% | 4.50% | 2.67% |
| Brown University | 5.39% | 5.23% | 3.06% |
| Yale University | 3.87% | 4.50% | -14.00% |
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