

Harvard University Complete Guide for Indian Students 2026: Courses, Fees, Rankings
- Private University
3 Campuses
- Estd. 1636
Harvard UniversityRankings & Grading
#3
#2
Commonly asked questions On Rankings
In the world rankings, Harvard University's QS ranking is #5 in 2026. Even in Times Higher Education rankings, this university ranks at #5 in 2026. Also, in Shanghai rankings, this university ranks at #1 in 2025. In the US News Global rankings, Harvard Uni rank at #1 in 2025.
Harvard Uni ranks at #1 in the Global Universities category in 2025 ranking by U.S. News ranking. In the other rankings, this university ranked among the Top 10 Universities in the world. In the QS rankings for 2026, Harvard Uni rank at #5 and in Times Higher Education ranks at #5 in 2026.
In the Financial Times rankings, Harvard Uni ranks at #10 in the MBA rankings for 2026. In 2025, Harvard ranked at #13 position. This means that this university's ranking has improved in 2026 for MBA. In the QS Global MBA rankings for 2026, Harvard University ranking is #2.
For Law and Legal Studies, Harvard University ranks at #1 position in the world for 2026 in the QS rankings. It has been ranking at the #1 position since the year 2020. In the Law rankings by Times Higher Education, this university ranks at #6 rank in 2026.
Harvard University Popular programs
14.7K+ students got admitted through us.
14.7K+ students got admitted through us.
9 students got admitted to this university
Commonly asked questions On Popular Programs
Admission into the Harvard LLM programme is quite competitive. It is one of the most popular courses opted by international students. Each year, around 1,600 applicants compete for around 180 seats. While evaluating the applications, the Admissions Committee considers the following:
- Grades in their previous law or other studies
- LOR
- Extracurriculars (professional or personal)
- Occupational interests
Harvard MBA is a 2-year long course. Also, the university offers need-based scholarships to international students, with an average award of USD 47,000 per year. More than 50% of the university's MBA graduates go for entrepreneurship. Harvard's MBA tuition fee is USD 78,700 for 9 months. The placement rate for the Class of 2024 is 84%.
Harvard's LLM is a one-year long course. 97% of the students in Harvard LLM course are international. The annual tuition fee for this course is USD 80,760 (Around INR 73.2 lakh) and the living expenses is around USD 41,040. For admission to this course, Indian students are required to submit resume, personal statement, previous studies transcripts, etc.
Harvard UniversityAdmission process
- Application fees :USD 75 - 250
- Type of deadline :Depends on course
| Type of documents | Applicable for |
|---|---|
| SOP | Needed for few courses |
| LOR | Needed for few courses |
| Essays | Needed for few courses |
| CV | Needed for few courses |
| Additional documents | Required |
Commonly asked questions On Admissions
Indian students who want to get Harvard's LLM should submit the following:
- Previous studies degrees (including Diplomas for all the degrees that have been received)
- Online application form
- CV / resume
- Personal statement
- TOEFL score
- Two LORs
- Financial aid application (if applicable)
- Application fee of USD 85
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
For admission to the UG courses of Harvard Uni, as such no GPA has been mentioned. But since with an acceptance rate of 4% for Indian students, Harvard Uni is one of the most selective universities in the world, UG students should have a GPA of 4.0 - 4.2 in their Class 12. The PG course requirements may vary as per the course.
Yes, Indian students who want to take admission to Harvard have to submit SAT / ACT scores for UG courses admission. To apply at the UG level, students have to apply via Common App. An application fee of USD 90 (Around INR 8.5k) has to be paid too.
Harvard UniversityCan I study for free at Harvard University?
Students whose family income is USD 100,000 and below (Around INR 95 lakh), with typical assets, they can study for free at Harvard. Here the financial aid will cover the billed expenses, such as tuition fees, housing, food, and more, including a USD 2,000 or INR 2 lakh start-up grant (first year), health insurance (if required), travel expenses between home and campus, event fees, winter gear, and other activities, and a USD 2,000 launch grant (junior year) to help students for post-Harvard life. More details about Harvard's financial aid are-
| Particulars | What's Covered? |
|---|---|
| USD 200,000 family income and below, with typical assets: Free Tuition Plus | Full tuition cost, plus and additional cost like food, fees, housing |
| Family income above USD 200,000 with typical assets: Tailored Financial Aid | Depends on individual circumstances |
Commonly asked questions On Scholarships
Approximately 50% of Harvard MBA students receive a need-based scholarship from HBS, with 10 per cent of the student body – those with the greatest financial need receiving full-tuition scholarships. The awards range from USD 2,500 – USD 76,000 per year (Around INR 2.17 Lacs – INR 66 lakh). Also, note that the annual need-based scholarship last year was USD 46,000 – USD 92,000 over two years (Around INR 40 Lacs – 80 lakh).
The Boustany MBA Harvard Scholarship is granted once every two years by Harvard Business School for a two-year course. As per this scholarship, the following will be done:
- Financial aid amounting to 75% of the tuition fees
- Accommodation and travel expenses related to the internship
Students who have an excellent academic background and show considerable promise are eligible for this scholarship.
Yes, Harvard University is a need-blind for international students. This means that students will not be disadvantaged in the UG admission process due to the financial need. Additionally, Harvard promises to meet 100% of the demonstrated need for the admitted students, including international. However, make sure to apply for financial aid as per the deadline. Then, complete the CSS profile, access the IDOC portal and submit the application for financial aid. The total Harvard University cost for the academic year 2025-26 for UG students is going to be around USD 90,426- USD 95,426 (Around INR 77.4 L - 82 L).
Around 50% of the students receive a need-based scholarship from Harvard Business School. The average scholarship for MBA awarded is approximately USD 100,000 for over 2 years. To apply for the financial aid for Harvard MBA, students are required to submit-
- The MBA financial aid application
- The Certificate of Finances form
- Any other supporting documents
- Income verification documentation from the previous 3 years
Harvard UniversityStudents Ratings & Reviews
- 100% students never faced discrimination in this university

Harvard University Placements 2026
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Commonly asked questions On Placements
As per the details, the Harvard Business School placements packages is impressive. The median base salary was USD 184,500 or INR 1.69 Cr and a median signing bonus of USD 30,000 or INR 27.5 L. The top industries where the MBA Class of 2025 graduates have been hired are Consulting, Private Equity, Technology, Hedge Fund, etc.
For the Class of 2025, Harvard Uni placement rate for MBA graduates is around 90% (received a job offer three months after graduation). The graduates have landed job roles in Consulting, Technology, Venture Capital, and Private Equity industries. The median base salary of the MBA graduates of Harvard is USD 184,500 or Around INR 1.67 Cr.
The median base salary of Harvard MBA graduate is around USD 184,500 (Around INR 1.65 Cr). and the median signing bonus is USD 30,000. For the Class of 2025, the placement rate is 84% (received an offer). Some of the job functions on which the graduates of this university have been employed are Consulting, Business Development, Marketing, General Management, etc.
Yes, current F1 students can work part-time on campus for up to 20 hours per week at the time of classes. They can work full-time at the time of vacations. Some of the popular part-time jobs in the US are:
- Tour Guide
- Campus Tech Support
- Teaching Assistant
- Barista
- Campus Tech Support
Harvard UniversityStudent profile
Others
60%
Asian
19%
Hispanic
11%
Black
8%
Out of state
68%
Foreign
15%
In state
15%
24 and under
83%
25 and over
16%
UG Number of Applicant
Overall Graduation Rate
UG Enrollment
PG Enrollment
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Harvard University FAQs
Harvard University application requirements is the same for US residents as well as overseas applicants. So, to apply for Harvard University admissions, all the first-year candidates must complete the Common Application or the Coalition Application along with the required supplements. Harvard is unbiased and has no preference. Each application is treated equally by the Admissions Committee of Harvard University.
Here are some of the requirements that students must meet to take admission to Harvard MBA:
- GPA requirements: On a the US 4.0 scale, the average GPA of the students admitted in the Harvard MBA course is 3.73.
- Letters of recommendation: Candidates must submit two very strong letters of recommendation within the deadlines as it is one of the most crucial factors for admissions.
- Statement of purpose: In order to connect with the admissions committee and stand out among all the deserving candidates, an essay/statement of purpose plays the deciding role.
- Proof of English language proficiency: Candidates who submit very high English proficiency exam scores stand a good chance to get enrolled in Harvard University.
- Resume/CV: It is an applicant's resume that makes them shine apart. Candidates must keep in mind that they need to be an all rounder to get into the university. Hence, activities outside also play a very important role.
- GMAT/GRE score: Harvard does not have a minimum GMAT/GRE score requirement. However, the average GMAT score submitted by the admitted applicants is in the range 500 - 790. Whereas, the average GRE score is around 163 each for median verbal and median quantitative.
- Work experience: On an average, the applicants who get admitted in MBA at Harvard have a work experience of 5 years.
The range of scholarship amount offered at Harvard Uni is USD 46,000 every academic year. The criteria for Harvard MBA Scholarship is mentioned below:
- Excellent academic background;
- Scholarship can be offered to students of any nationality;
- Students can apply only after receiving an offer for the course.
It will also offer financial aid for up to 75% of the tuition fees and travel as well as housing expenses will be covered.
Harvard University provides students the opportunity to apply under either Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision program, both of which allow the candidate to compare admission and financial aid offers from other institutions and to wait until the specific deadline to make a final college choice.
| Particulars | Final date to apply |
|---|---|
| Restrictive Early Action | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Regular Decision Program | Jan 2027 |
Students can apply to Harvard using the Common Application or the Coalition Application.
Indian students who want to study at Harvard must have a SAT score between 1550 and 1600. Harvard Uni is very competitive with an acceptance rate of 4.2%.
Indian students should have a good academic record in Class 10 and Class 12. In the school education, the studets should have a 3.9+ GPA or more.
Harvard University
Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
Yes, MBBS in Harvard is a dual degree programme which leads to an MD. So MBBS is technically MD at Harvard.
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
Unofficially, yes, McGill University, located in Montreal is widely known as the "Harvard of Canada".
It is the country's best institution of higher learning as evidenced by its QS 2027 rankings, where it ranks #1 in Canada and #30 in the world. Look at the pointers given below -
- McGill University adm
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, low-income students can go for Harvard University MA courses offered at the Harvard Kenneth C. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
It is not easy to go for the MA courses as full funding is not received, as it offers need-based scholarships.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The Uni of Mannheim is referred as the "Harvard of Germany for Business" for its elite business and economics programs. Listed below are the key reasons for the university attaining this title:
- Consistently ranks at #1 for Business Administration, Economics, and Social Sciences programs
- Triple-crown a
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The real competition at Harvard University is much higher than the bare-minimum baseline of around 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The competition is cut-throat and fierce due to the given reasons -
- The application pool is flooded with top-tier IIT/NIT/DU grads and published researchers (a 3.5 GPA is not en
L
Contributor-Level 10
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