Harvard University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

One of the most popular Ivy League institutions Harvard Uni is the oldest university in the US and is consistently ranked among the top 5 global unis. It is interesting to note that despite being one of the toughest universities to get into Harvard University does not mandate proof of English proficiency for students applying for bachelor's courses.

When it comes to Harvard University Ranking it ranked #3 in National Universities, #2 in Best Value Schools, #1 in Best Global Universities 2025-26 and #5 in World University Rankings 2026.

Harvard University has housed famous Indian alumni like P. Chidambaram (served as India's Finance Minister and Home Minister), Ratan Tata (Industrialist), Anand Mahindra (chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra) and Mira Nair (Founder of Maisha Film Lab). Financial aid at Harvard is also available for Indian students.

Harvard University Acceptance Rate 2025

As per latest available data Harvard Uni received around 53,700 applications from prospective students for class of 2029 of which a mere 1,950 students were offered a seat suggesting that Harvard Uni acceptance rate stands at 3.6% for 2025 and that makes the admission criteria extremely selective. The no. of student enrollments along with yield rate of the uni itself is yet to be announced however the yield rate for Harvard College as per official sources has been announced to stand around 85%.

For class of 2028 the uni received around 54,000 applications and around 1,970 students were admitted. The Harvard University yield rate usually stands above 80% and similarly for class of 2028 the yield rate stood at around 83% since 1,647 of the students admitted ultimately offered the opportuntiy to enroll on the uni's campus grounds.

Particulars	Class of 2028	Class of 2029 (estimates)
Student Applications	54,008	53,700
Students Admitted	1,970	1,950
Acceptance Rate	3.65%	3.63%

Harvard University Acceptance Rate for Foreign Students

When it comes to the Harvard acceptance rate for indian students the stats again stand at less than 4% making it one of the toughest study abroad universities to get into.

The no. of Foreign students enrolled at the Harvard University campus for 2024-25 amounts to 10,158 with the international crowd representing 150 different nations. An intimidating Harvard University acceptance rate of under 5% reveals that securing a seat at Harvard is extremely tough for local and foreign students alike. 

Particulars	Headcount
Total Students	24,519
International Students	10,158
Countries Represented	150
International students in Class of 2028	18%

As per Harvard Global Support Services each year around 500-800 Indian students enroll at Harvard University. The ethnic breakdown of the class of 2028 of Harvard University is also given below:

Race/Ethnicity	Percentile
African American or Black	14%
Asian American	37%
Hispanic or Latino	16%
Native American	1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	Less than 1%

Harvard University Acceptance Rate Trends

Harvard University has been receiving a slightly decreased number of applications since 2022. The number of applications received has gone down from 61,200 to 52,700 in 2025. On the other hand, the number of students admitted has consistently stayed around 1,900. As a result, Harvard acceptance rate has remained rather consistent throughout the years. It has managed to range under 5%, pointing to extremely strict Harvard admission criteria. The enrollment trends for the university for the last few years, along with the trends for the acceptance rate of Harvard University are given below for a comparative analysis: 

Class of	Number of Applications Received	Number of Students Accepted	Harvard University Acceptance Rate
2029 (estimated)	53,700	1,950	3.6%
2028	54,008	1,970	3.6%
2027	56,937	1,966	3.4%
2026	61,220	1,954	3.2%
2025	57,435	1,968	3.4%
2024	40,248	1,980	4.9%

Harvard University Early Decision vs Regular Decision

Every year, Harvard University admits international students through Early Decision as well as Regular Decision. Usually, the university’s early decision acceptance rate is higher in comparison to the regular decision acceptance rate. Early decision allows applicants to apply to a university earlier than regular decision.

For the class of 2029, Harvard accepted approximately 640 applicants out of 6,950 under the Restrictive Early Action plan. Whereas, around 49,750 candidates applied under the Regular Decision plan, of which 1,310 were selected. This suggests that the Harvard early acceptance rate is 9.2% for the class of 2029, with the Harvard regular decision acceptance rate standing around a mere 2.8%. Hence, it can be observed that securing enrollment in Harvard through regular decision is much more competitive as compared to the early decision program.

When we talk about the class of 2028, Harvard admitted 692 out of 7,921 candidates through REA and 1,245 out of 46,087 applicants through the regular decision program. Thus, the early decision acceptance rate stood around 7.6%. Whereas the regular decision acceptance rate was recorded to be merely 2.6%.

Class of	Harvard Early Decision Acceptance Rate	Harvard Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
2028	8.7%	Yet to be released
2027	7.6%	2.6%
2026	7.9%	2.3%
2025	7.4%	2.6%

Harvard University Requirements for International Students

Harvard University accepts international students based on their overall character and personality. Students must be all-rounders to secure enrollment to this prestigious Ivy League institution.

Harvard University Eligibility for Indian Students

• Undergraduate: Harvard University takes a holistic approach when it comes to admissions. Hence, academic accomplishment in high school is crucial for prospective undergraduate students of Harvard University. Apart from this, Harvard's admissions committee also considers other criteria such as community involvement, leadership and distinction in extra-curricular activities, character, personal qualities, and more.
• Graduate: Harvard University's admission requirements for graduates comprise of 4-year undergraduate degree or equivalent, English language requirements, standardized test scores (SAT/ACT), GMAT/GRE scores, LORs, SOPs, and more. Apart from the academic requirements, students should be all-rounders outside of class.

The minimum requirements to study at Harvard vary from school to school. Some of the basic requirements stated by Harvard University for international students include:

• SAT or ACT scores (optional)
• English language proficiency proof like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, etc. (optional for international students)
• High School Transcripts
• Typically, at least two letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose (course-specific)
• Bachelor's degree or international equivalent (for graduates)
• Resume/CV

For more information, students can refer to official website of the choice of Harvard school/college.

Harvard University English Proficiency Requirements

For bachelor's courses, no English language exam scores are required from international students to secure enrollment to Harvard University.

However, students planning to pursue master's courses from Harvard do need to fulfil the language requirements, and the minimum score requirements are listed below:

English Language Exam	Score Requirements
TOEFL	80 & Above
IELTS	6.5 & Above
PTE	70 & Above
Duolingo	120 & Above

Also, check the Harvard University Cost page to find out about Harvard University fees

Harvard University Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores

Harvard University is an extremely competitive university to get into, and thus, students must be academically outstanding, along with being all-rounders even outside class, in order to secure enrollment for their higher studies. To compete with other applicants, a candidate must obtain straight A’s in all their subjects.

When it comes to standardized test score requirements, the average SAT score submitted by Harvard applicants lies between 1490 - 1580. Whereas, the average ACT scores of the university’s applicants are around 34 - 36.

Tips to Get Selected at Harvard University

In order to secure enrollment, the candidate must be an all-rounder as Harvard accepts students on the basis of their overall character and personality and takes a holistic approach when it comes to Harvard University admissions.

Apart from fulfilling the academic qualifications, some of the best practices that students can follow include acquiring strong letters of recommendation from their teachers/professors, participating in co-curricular activities, and leaving a positive impact on the world outside classrooms.

In addition, the admissions committee of this Ivy League institution takes into account additional factors such as leadership and distinction in extracurricular activities, character, personal qualities, and involvement in the community.

Harvard University Acceptance Rate vs Oxford University Acceptance Rate

Oxford University acceptance rate stands at around 14-17%, which makes it an extremely competitive university to get into. However, with an acceptance rate of merely 3.6%, Harvard is considered to be much more selective in their admission criteria.

University of Oxford admissions are very selective in nature, and students must be at the top of their class as well as exceptional in co-curricular activities in order to get admitted to the university.