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Is Harvard University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Harvard, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Affordable
Harvard lands in the affordable band for a typical family. Graduates earn a median of $101,817 ten years after enrolling, and that makes the median debt of $14,000 more manageable than it looks at first glance. For context, Harvard's net price is about 22% below the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. On the numbers alone, this school clears the bar comfortably.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$17,900
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,937 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $20,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
Graduation and earnings data create a stronger long-run payoff picture.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$19,066
Median earnings 10 years out
$101,817
Median debt at graduation
$14,000
Graduation rate
97%
At Harvard, a typical graduate carries about $14,000 in student debt and earns roughly $101,817 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $159 per month, or 2% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Harvard is a private nonprofit four year school in Cambridge, MA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
Worth-It Score: 100/100
Median net price: $20,111
Private nonprofit 4-year
Williams
Williamstown, MA
Worth-It Score: 93/100
Median net price: $17,716
Private nonprofit 4-year
College of Our Lady of the Elms
Chicopee, MA
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $17,545
Private nonprofit 4-year
American International
Springfield, MA
Worth-It Score: 47/100
Median net price: $23,274
Private nonprofit 4-year
Amherst
Amherst, MA
Worth-It Score: 86/100
Median net price: $23,367
Common questions about Harvard
The median net price at Harvard is $19,066 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Massachusetts? See the most affordable private colleges in Massachusetts →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →