How many foreigners go to Harvard?

Harvard has nearly 7,000 international degree students from over 140 countries, making up about 27% of the total student body, according to recent 2024-2025 data, with more than 10,000 international community members when including scholars and researchers. The top countries of origin for these students include China, Canada, India, South Korea, and the UK, enriching the university with diverse global perspectives.

What percentage of foreign students go to Harvard?

About 7,000 international students attend Harvard—or roughly 27 percent of total enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year. But that figure varies significantly by school.

How many British students go to Harvard?

And each year, more than 400 students and scholars from the UK study at Harvard. Through our Harvard Global entities in the UK, we provide international employment, office administration, and gift administration services that support the University's research, fundraising, and educational activities.

How many Chinese students are at Harvard?

The number of students from mainland China rose from 1,390 in autumn 2024 to 1,452 in autumn 2025 – an increase of 4.5 per cent – according to Harvard data released on Friday. Hong Kong student enrolment rose from 68 to 73, while enrolment from Macau, which is in the single digits, decreased.

Does Harvard accept foreigners?

We welcome nearly 4,000 international students from 120 countries around the world seeking opportunities to study part time at Harvard University each year and would love to have you join us.

Harvard 101: What you need to know about applying to Harvard

Can I get into Harvard if I live in the UK?

UK students interested in a course of undergraduate study at Harvard would apply to Harvard College, and if admitted, would become part of Harvard University. Postgraduate students would apply to one of the graduate schools, which have their own admission systems.

What is the #1 hardest school to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

What is the majority race in Harvard?

The most common race/ethnicity at Harvard University is white (3,817 degrees awarded).

Can a 2.5 GPA go to Harvard?

It's extremely unlikely, but theoretically possible, to get into Harvard with a 2.5 GPA, as they use holistic admissions, but it would require extraordinary achievements (like founding a major company, Nobel Prize, extreme athletic recruitment, or immense donations) or documented hardship to explain the low grades, as most admitted students have GPAs near 4.0. While a handful of students with GPAs in the 2.0-2.9 range are admitted, these are rare exceptions, often balanced by exceptional test scores or other unique factors, with many examples showing that even strong extracurriculars don't guarantee admission with low grades. 

Does Harvard look at GCSEs?

Standardized Tests

In exceptional cases, when those are not accessible for a student, one of the following can meet the requirement: AP exam results. IB Actual or Predicted Scores. GCSE/A-Level Actual or Predicted Results.

Is Harvard free if your family makes less than 200k?

Yes, starting in the 2025-26 academic year, Harvard College offers free tuition for families with annual incomes of $200,000 or less, with aid covering full tuition, room, board, and fees, and grants for expenses; families earning under $100,000 get even more comprehensive support, including free room, board, and travel, with a focus on making Harvard accessible to more middle-income students. 

Is Harvard or MIT bigger?

No, Harvard University is significantly bigger than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in terms of total student enrollment, with Harvard having roughly double the students (around 24,000-25,000) compared to MIT's approximately 12,000, and Harvard also has more undergraduate students and a greater number of schools and colleges, including Law and Medical schools, which MIT lacks.
 

How many Israeli students attend Harvard?

And each year, more than 150 students and scholars from Israel study at Harvard.

How do you get a 100% scholarship to Harvard?

To get a 100% scholarship (full financial aid) at Harvard, you must demonstrate significant financial need, as their aid is need-based, not merit-based; families with incomes under $85k-$100k often pay nothing, and aid covers tuition, room, and board for others with lower incomes, with strong applications showing academic excellence, compelling essays, and extracurriculars to get admitted and fully meet demonstrated need with grants, not loans, through CSS Profile/FAFSA. 

Which Ivy League admits the most international students?

Which Ivy League accepts the most international students? Columbia University usually accepts the largest number of international students.

When did Harvard start allowing black students?

For example, Harvard University, a private Ivy League school in Massachusetts, started admitting students in 1636 but did not admit their first Black undergraduate student until Beverly Garnett Williams in 1847.

Why is MIT not Ivy League?

MIT isn't an Ivy League school because the Ivy League is defined by its athletic conference (NCAA Division I, no athletic scholarships) and geographical location in the Northeast, not just academic prestige; MIT is a Division III school, focused more on science/tech, and not part of that specific athletic league, even though it rivals the Ivies academically.
 

Is MIT full of Asians?

While the percentage of white matriculants remained largely unchanged—a drop of just one percentage point from the class of 2027—the percentage of Asian American students skyrocketed from forty percent to forty-seven percent.

What is the prettiest Ivy League?

1. Princeton University: Princeton's campus is renowned for its beautiful, spacious, and well-maintained grounds. Gothic and collegiate architecture dominate the landscape. Their eating clubs also add to the uniqueness of campus life.

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

Is Oxford harder than Harvard?

Neither Oxford nor Harvard is definitively "harder"—they are both exceptionally difficult but in different ways, with Harvard generally having lower acceptance rates (making it tougher to get in) while Oxford's intense, subject-focused structure, particularly its final exams, presents a unique academic challenge. Harvard emphasizes a holistic review for well-rounded leaders, while Oxford focuses intensely on deep academic merit and subject mastery. 

Where do the 1% go to college?

The 1% of the wealthiest Americans disproportionately attend highly selective, elite universities, particularly Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, Columbia) and other top institutions like MIT, Stanford, Duke, and UChicago, where they make up a large percentage of the student body, often outnumbering students from the bottom 60% of income earners combined. Liberal arts colleges and prestigious public universities also attract many wealthy students, with specific examples including WashU St. Louis, UVA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins.