Harvard University Graduation Rate & Retention Rate (2024)

by our College Data Analytics Team

Unbiased Factual Guarantee

Harvard University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to Harvard after their first year? Are Harvard students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• Harvard Retention Rate
• Harvard Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Harvard Drop Out Rate

Harvard Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 76% students making it past their freshmen year, Harvard has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.

Harvard Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 1,604 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

84% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 96% in six years, and 97% in eight years.

Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical Harvard graduation rate 96%.

The typical Harvard student takes 4.15 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

Harvard Graduation Rates vs. National Average

The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.

Harvard Drop Out Rate

Approximately 48 students or 3% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 48 students who did not complete their degree?

• 5 are still enrolled.

• 8 transferred to another institution.

• Harvard lost contact with the remaining 31 who we assumed dropped out.

Harvard Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.

Traditional Students:

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.

Non-Traditional Students:

Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.

The majority of students at Harvard are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.

First-Time / Full-Time Harvard Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Harvard University represent 99% of the students in the class of 2015, and 99.19% of Harvard bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 84%, first-time students in the Harvard class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Harvard graduation rate was 96%, and by the eight year mark, 97% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

Harvard First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Harvard Drop Out Rates

47 first-time / full-time students or 3% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 5 are still enrolled.

• 8 transferred to another institution.

• Harvard lost contact with the remaining 30 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Harvard first-time, part-time students.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

14 Harvard students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.84% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 93%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 93%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

Harvard Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Harvard Drop Out Rates

1 non first-time / part-time students or 7% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 0 transferred to another institution.

• Harvard lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Harvard returning, part-time students.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Elisa.rolle under License