

Harvard University Admissions 2026: Requirements, Application Deadlines & Fees for Indian Students
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Harvard University Admission Requirements for Indian Students 2026
With an acceptance rate of only 3.63%, Harvard University admissions remain extremely competitive and cutthroat. Indian students have to be extraordinary in almost all aspects of the application rather than just being good academically. The ideal Harvard University application includes great extracurriculars, personal qualities, academic edge and life experiences.
Harvard University UG Admission Requirements 2026
Harvard does not specifically mention the minimum GPA criteria for its UG courses, but the students who got in are generally among the top of their class. Indian students should have passed class 12th from a recognized board like CBSE,ICSE, State Boards with outstanding scores. Submitting the English test scores is optional for Indian students.
Look at the table given below for the typical range of scores for Indian students -
|
Test Requirement |
Typical Range Among Admitted Students |
|---|---|
|
SAT Score |
1580 – 1600 (middle 50%: 1500 – 1580) |
|
ACT Score |
34 – 36 (middle 50%: 33 – 35) |
|
GPA (if applicable) |
Exceptional – top of class |
|
AP , IB Exams |
Highly recommended (5s on AP, 7s on IB preferred) |
|
SAT , ACT alternatives (for Indian students) |
AP results, IB scores, CBSE, ICSE Boards if SAT is inaccessible |
Harvard University PG Admission Requirements 2026
The Harvard PG courses requirements vary by the course and school. Indian students should have a UG degree from a known institution with great scores. Look at the table below for the exact admission requirements for PG courses -
|
PG Program |
Academic Requirement |
English Proficiency |
Standardised Tests |
Other Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MBA (HBS) |
Bachelor's degree in any discipline |
IELTS: 7–7.5 , TOEFL: 100+ , PTE: 70+ , Duolingo: 125+ |
GMAT or GRE (avg. GMAT: 740 median) |
Avg. 5 years work experience, 2 LORs, SOP, Essay, Resume |
|
MS (Harvard SEAS) |
4-year bachelor's in relevant field, GPA 3.0,4.0+ |
TOEFL: 80–103 , IELTS: 6.5–7.5 , PTE: 70+ , Duolingo: 125+ |
GRE or GMAT |
3 LORs, SOP (max 1,000 words), Resume,CV, Transcripts |
|
MA |
Bachelor's in relevant discipline |
TOEFL: 80–100 , IELTS: 6.5–7 , PTE: 70+ , Duolingo: 125+ |
GRE |
2–3 LORs, SOP, Resume,CV, Transcripts |
|
LLM (Harvard Law) |
First law degree (LLB , JD or equivalent) |
TOEFL: 100+ |
None specified |
LORs, Academic writing sample, SOP, Transcripts |
Commonly asked questions On Admissions
According to some of student reviews at an unofficial source, the following are the key points that Indian students have to keep in mind if they want to get into Harvard University:
- Focus on Academics: Try to ace your academics. Get good marks in the standardized tests (as required), school examinations, Olympiad tests, etc. In short, have a stellar academic record
- Extra-curriculars: Choose any activity as per hobbies and be the best. For instance, if you like debating, try to win some of the international debates, etc.
- Sports: If you can represent India abroad and manage to win, it will boost your Harvard University application considerably
Students who want to join Harvard University but studying in India should not lose hope. It is possible to take admission in Harvard if student score good grades throughout their studies. They should involve in some extra activities to add positive points in their CV. Students who have taken part in global or national activities easily get admission.
To apply for Harvard graduate admission, applicanta can submit thier GMAT score along with thier admision application. As such, minimum GMAT score required for Harvard MBA has not been mentioned. Check the complete deatil about the Harvard MBA class 2025 GMAT score:
| Particular | Score Range |
|---|---|
| Verbal Range | 25-51 |
| Quantitative Range | 31-51 |
| Total Range | 500-790 |
| Median Verbal | 42 |
| Median Quantitative | 49 |
| Median Total | 740 |
International students who wish to study at Harvard, must meet the Harvard University admission requirements for MBA course are given below:
- An undergraduate degree or its equivalent
- GMAT or GRE score
- TOEFL / IELTS / PTE / Duolingo test score
- Academic Transcripts
- Essay
- Letter of Recommendation
- Resume
Harvard University MS Admissions 2026
Harvard University MS is a 1 year-3 years master's program for International students. The University of Harvard MS fees range from INR 19 L to INR 80 L for first-year. Some popular MS specializations are Data Science; Computational Science and Engineering; Medical Science in Medical Education; Biomedical Informatics; etc. Students have to submit some documents like transcripts, a letter of recommendations, statement of purpose, English language requirements, and more.
Eligibility Criteria
- Accepting Exams: TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, IELTS, GRE, GMAT
Commonly asked questions On MS Admissions
Indian students who want to take admission to MS in Data Science course of Harvard Uni should submit application form, SOP, three LORs, previous studies transcripts, resume, etc. No GRE score is required for admission to MS in Data Science course.
International students who wish to study MS in CS at Harvard must complete a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised institute. Applicants must submit an online application through the official website and submit all the necessary documents along with a non-refundable application fee to complete it. The below infographic includes Harvard University online application process for MS admission:
To apply to Harvard MSc in Data Science, the applicants are required to apply through the designated application link mentioned on the official website. Harvard University admission requirements for MSc in Data Science are given below:
Online application form
Statement of Purpose
3 letters of recommendation
Academic transcripts
CV or resume
TOEFL / IELTS score report
International students must complete a bachelor’s degree in the relevant discipline for admission to MS in CS programme at Harvard University. They must have an overall GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. Mentioned below are the requirements to get admission into the MS in CS programme at Harvard University:
- A bachelor’s degrees in a relevent discipline
- An overall GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0
- GRE or GMAT scores
- Submit a statement of purpose no longer than 1,000 words
- Three letters of recommendation
- Provide your updated C.V. or Resume
Harvard UniversityStudents Ratings & Reviews
- 100% students never faced discrimination in this university

Harvard University Admissions 2026 FAQs
International students whose first language is not English must meet the Harvard University English language requirements for UG and PG admissions. The language requirements vary as per the school and programme type. Mentioned below are general Harvard University Duolingo requirements along with details on other test scores:
English Language Test | Minimum UG Score | Minimum PG Score |
IELTS | 6.5 | 7.5 |
TOEFL iBT | 80 | 109 |
PTE | 60 | 75 |
Duolingo | 100 | 145 |
Note: Harvard undergraduate admission to the Class of 2025 is test optional and a lack of test results will not affect students’ chances of admission.
Check how to Study in the USA without IELTS and TOEFL
MIT, Stanford, and Harvard University offers quality MS in Computer Science course to international students. The table below includes the fees for an MS in Aerospace Engineering at MIT, Stanford, and Harvard University:
| Universities | MS in Computer Science First-Year Fees |
|---|---|
| MIT University MS in CS | INR 50.35 L |
| Stanford University MS in CS | INR 35.65 L |
| Stanford,3 University MS in CS | INR 53.62 L |
Check the Harvard University University admission requirements for Harvard University MS in CSE:
- A bachelor’s degree in the relevant field
- Completed application form
- Statement of Purpose
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Academic Transcripts
- CV or Resume
- TOEFL / IELTS score report
A year of an LLM programme at Harvard’s Law School is expensive. Check the 2023-24 academic year budget from the table given below:
| Particulars | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | USD 73,600 |
| Health Insurance and Health Services Fees | USD 5,528 |
| Activities Fees | USD 400 |
| Rent and Utilities | USD 17,100 |
| Food | USD 5,850 |
| Personal Expenses | USD 5,647 |
| Books & Supplies | USD 1,650 |
| Travel | USD 1,725 |
Students can get admission to Harvard University LLM program if they meet the program requirements. Final year Law students must complete the degree no later than June of the year in which you intend to enroll. Below are the application materials checklist:
Online application form
CV/Résumé
Personal statement, parts (A) and (B)
Transcript(s) (including diplomas for all degrees that have been received)
Recommendations (at least two)
The Harvard acceptance rate is around 3.6%, which means admission at Harvard University is too hard for internationl students. As it is widely known, Harvard is among the top-ranked universities worldwide and its rank justifies so. For the Class of 2028, over 54,000+ applicants were there at Harvard and out of this, 1,900+ students admitted.
Also Check: Harvard University Acceptance Rate for International Students
Students who are planning to enrolled at Harvard must have other qualities apart from meeting the admission requirements. The Harvard University Admission Committee consider other things too such as personal qualities, extracurricular activities, etc.
Indian students can get admission at Harvard University in America if they meet the entry criteria. Mentioned below are the University of Harvard admission requirements for Indian students to get admission in UG program:
SAT or ACT scores are optional
Must meet English language proficiency requirements
School report and high school transcript
Letters of Recommendation from two teacher
Mid-year school report and final school report (for admitted students only)
The first-year tuition fee for MS in Computational Science and Engineering at Harvard University will be around INR 50 lakhs. Some of the other expenses in the first year will be of accommodation and meals, insurance, books and supplies, etc. All of the other expenses included in the first-year will account for INR 19 lakh.
Harvard Uni requirements for Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Finance include having a 4-year bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. Students are required submit the English language proficiency score too. For admission to Harvard's Master of Liberal Arts in Finance course, the applicants should submit documents like resume, personal statement, academic degrees of previous studies, etc.
Mentioned below are the admission requirements for BTech admission at Harvard:
- Must hold a high school degree equivalent to a US
- Upload academic transcripts
- Submit English language proficiency test score
- Provide a statement of purpose
- Final School Report and Transcripts
- Submission of standardized test scores
Harvard University
Student Forum
Answered a week ago
No, Harvard does not prefer students applying in the Restrictive Early round rather than the later rounds. The Harvard acceptance rate may seem higher for REA, but it is merely the result of a smaller pool of highly qualified applicants.
So, the timings have no real effect in admissions at Harvard.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
The Harvard University Early Action is non-binding for all students around the world.
This means that if an Indian students has applied under the Restrictive Early Action and has also received an offer to attend this university, they are not bound to attend and also have the free will to accept or r
D
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
As a full-time student at MIT, students can cross-register for classes at Harvard University – Faculty of Arts and Sciences and one of the professional schools (some exceptions applicable). First-year UG student is not eligible for this. There is no additional fees to cross-register. Fees may apply
C
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
As an Indian student planning to go for the Fall semester, you should try and request the I-20 form by March to early April to allow the F-1 visa processing.
The visa appointment wait times are longer in India, so it may take 2 to 4 months to get an appointment for the visa interview.
Aiming to book
B
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
Though the overall international student enrollment at Harvard in Fall 2025 was up, Indian student enrollment declined. The total number of international students enrolled at Harvard was 6,749. In Fall 2025, the number of Indian students enrolled was 545. In the Business School 110+ Indian students
G
Contributor-Level 10
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