Academic Life at Harvard University

Academics at a Glance

Heres a high-level look at academic life at Harvard University, covering the student-to-faculty ratio, the majors and degrees offered, and what online and distance learning is available.

Each topic below links to a dedicated page with the full detail:

• Faculty Resources
• Most Popular Majors
• Additional Questions to Ask
• Continue Your Research

Faculty Resources

With 7 students for every instructional faculty member, Harvard University ranks among the best colleges for instructional attention when compared with the national average of 15 to 1. Harvard University employs 87% of its instructors full time, above the national average of 47%.

For the full breakdown — tenure status, part-time and adjunct share, and how the faculty compares with the national average — see the faculty composition report.

Majors and Fields of Study

Harvard University offers 112 majors with reported completions across 27 broad fields of study.

Degrees offered at Harvard University are summarised below:

Ranked by number of graduates, these are the most popular majors at Harvard University.

For the complete list of majors, concentrations and graduation numbers, see the academic majors report.

Questions Worth Asking

As you weigh academic life at Harvard University, a few more questions are worth asking:

• Need flexibility? Check whether Harvard University offers the online or summer classes that fit your schedule — about 1,373 undergraduates study at least partly online. Explore online learning.
• Interested in outcomes? Look at how well Harvard University retains and graduates its students — 98% of full-time freshmen return). See graduation and retention.
• Worried about job prospects? Ask about employment outcomes for recent graduates of Harvard University.

Dig Deeper into Academics on Harvard University

Use the pages below to go deeper on any academic topic:

• Academic Majors at Harvard University — every major and degree program offered
• Faculty & Class Sizes at Harvard University — student-faculty ratio, full-time vs adjunct, and tenure detail
• Graduation and Retention at Harvard University — graduation outcomes and retention detail
• Distance Learning at Harvard University — distance-learning enrollment detail
• Accreditation Detail at Harvard University — accreditation status and accrediting bodies