Harvard Tuition & Cost · 2026–27
Tuition & fees at Harvard University include undergraduate tuition ($62,226) and mandatory fees ($6,216). Cost of attendance is Harvard's estimated total annual amount for an undergraduate, adding housing, food, personal expenses, books, and transportation. Harvard publishes cost of attendance as a range of $95,134 to $100,134 because transportation varies by student; the figure above is the upper bound, which CollegeClearly uses as a conservative planning number so families budget for the full year including maximum estimated transportation. These are Harvard's current published 2026–27 figures.
But that's not necessarily what your family will pay.
Financial aid changes the price dramatically.
Harvard publishes clear income-tier commitments for the 2026–27 academic year. Harvard is need-blind for all applicants, including international students, meets 100% of demonstrated financial need, and packages aid as grants rather than loans.
Expected parent contribution is $0. Aid covers all billed expenses — tuition, fees, housing, food, and health insurance — plus a $2,000 first-year start-up grant and a $2,000 junior-year launch grant.
Aid covers at least the full cost of tuition. Additional aid for housing, food, and fees may be available based on individual circumstances.
Financial aid remains available based on individual circumstances. Home equity and retirement assets are typically not considered in Harvard's assessment of financial need.
Harvard does not award merit, athletic, or talent-based scholarships — all institutional aid is need-based. Approximately 55% of Harvard undergraduates receive some form of financial aid, and 25% of Harvard families pay nothing. The average parent contribution across aided families is roughly $13,000.
Source: Harvard College Financial Aid — How Aid Works. The expanded income thresholds took effect for the 2025–26 academic year and continue for 2026–27.
But those policies still don't tell you what Harvard will cost your family.
So what will Harvard cost your family?
Published prices don't answer that. Your number depends on the aid you receive, what your family can contribute, and how much is left to cover.
And if you need to borrow some of it?
The real cost of college isn't just the four years. It's what that borrowing could mean every month for the next 20 years.
See My Harvard Estimate→Two minutes. Free. No account needed.
About these numbers
Published tuition and cost of attendance shown at the top of this page are Harvard University's 2026–27 published figures, as posted by the Harvard College Griffin Financial Aid Office. Tuition is $62,226 and mandatory fees are $6,216, for a combined $68,442 in direct tuition and fees. Harvard publishes cost of attendance as the sum of billed costs ($91,634 — tuition, fees, housing at $14,250, and food at $8,942) plus unbilled costs (estimated personal expenses at $2,500, estimated books at $1,000, and transportation at $0 to $5,000). Because transportation varies by student, Harvard publishes the total as a range of $95,134 to $100,134. The figure at the top of this page ($100,134) is the upper bound. CollegeClearly uses Harvard's upper bound rather than a midpoint or lower bound as its planning number so families can budget for the full year including maximum estimated transportation; the same figure is passed into the calculator. Harvard's own published range is preserved above so families can see the full picture. Health insurance is required at an additional $4,954 unless the student is covered under a family plan.
The income-tier statements shown in the section above are Harvard's own current published aid policy, as posted on Harvard College Financial Aid's How Aid Works page. The expanded thresholds (families up to $100,000 pay nothing, families up to $200,000 pay no tuition) took effect for the 2025–26 academic year following an announcement by University President Alan M. Garber and continue for 2026–27. Harvard is need-blind in admission for all applicants regardless of citizenship, and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. Harvard does not award merit, athletic, or talent-based institutional scholarships — all aid is need-based. Home equity in a primary residence and retirement assets are typically excluded from Harvard's calculation of family financial need. Families with significant non-retirement assets may be asked to contribute more. Loans are not required as part of a Harvard aid package; parents and students may still choose to borrow if they wish. Approximately 55% of Harvard undergraduates receive some form of financial aid, and 25% of Harvard families pay nothing to attend. The average parent contribution across aided families is roughly $13,000.
The CollegeClearly estimator translates your family's specific cost into a standardized 20-year monthly financial commitment using CollegeClearly's own repayment model, applied identically to every school we cover so families can compare on the same basis. It is a comparison framework, not a specific loan product.
Figures are for informational purposes only and are not financial advice. Verify final costs with Harvard College Financial Aid and your family's specific aid letter.