10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$539,546at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · 47 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 47 · Federal debt reported for 5
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$539,546 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
3.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+211%Estimated return after 10 years
$124,581Observed earnings · year 5
$153,953Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $134,887 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$615,810
$19,000Current college-wide context+$539,810
$20,000Current college-wide context+$535,810
$40,000Annual price+$455,810
$60,000Annual price+$375,810
$80,000Annual price+$295,810
$100,000Annual price+$215,810
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- New England Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
1,568 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Massachusetts run 6% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$19,066Average net price / year
$85,540Cost of attendance
$14,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$148/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$124,581Median earnings · year 5 after completion
97.6%Completion rate
3.6%Admission rate
1,553Average SAT score
35ACT midpoint
7,601Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Harvard University
What does Harvard University cost?
Harvard University reports an average annual net price of $19,066 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Harvard University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $124,581 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Harvard University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $14,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Harvard University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 47 field-and-degree records for Harvard University; 47 report year-4 earnings and 5 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
37,217Students enrolled at any point
11,899Undergraduate students
25,318Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
98% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
161 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
58% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$91,660Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$107,203Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$118,083Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income54%
Middle income69%
Higher income87%
Undergraduate student composition
White31%
Black9%
Hispanic12%
Asian22%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$92,518Year 1
$134,794Year 4
$124,581Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Law · First Professional Degree$291,4902Business Administration, Management and Operations · First Professional Degree$272,0093Statistics · Bachelor's Degree$230,8764Computer Engineering · Master's Degree$228,5195Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$203,1696Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Master's Degree$198,9217Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences · Graduate/Professional Certificate$198,3248Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$189,806Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1LawFirst Professional Degree · $291,490 reported+170%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2StatisticsBachelor's Degree · $230,876 reported+150%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Public AdministrationMaster's Degree · $177,149 reported+118%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyMaster's Degree · $168,833 reported+105%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralMaster's Degree · $113,887 reported+92%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyDoctoral Degree · $185,905 reported+91%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in MA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Needham, MA
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
- Annual net price
- $25,171
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $112,565
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +141%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Annual net price
- $20,111
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $148,383
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +297%
Babson College
- Annual net price
- $40,514
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $113,760
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +101%
Bentley University
- Annual net price
- $37,930
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $105,451
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +82%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 47 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law | First Professional Degree | $291,490 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | First Professional Degree | $272,009 | Not available | Not reported |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $230,876 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Master's Degree | $228,519 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $203,169 | Not available | Not reported |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Master's Degree | $198,921 | Not available | 8 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $198,324 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $189,806 | Not available | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Doctoral Degree | $185,905 | Not available | 51 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $177,149 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Doctoral Degree | $174,114 | Not available | 23 |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $170,689 | Not available | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Master's Degree | $168,833 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Master's Degree | $155,888 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $155,592 | $6,617 | Not reported |
| Biotechnology | Master's Degree | $155,219 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $153,797 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $153,029 | Not available | Not reported |
| Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $151,692 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Doctoral Degree | $143,521 | Not available | 14 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $129,978 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | Master's Degree | $127,546 | Not available | Not reported |
| Behavioral Sciences | Doctoral Degree | $125,925 | Not available | 0 |
| Education, General | Doctoral Degree | $125,405 | Not available | 25 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $117,816 | Not available | Not reported |
| Area Studies | Master's Degree | $115,583 | Not available | Not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Master's Degree | $113,887 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $113,503 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $108,149 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Doctoral Degree | $106,501 | Not available | 55 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Master's Degree | $102,979 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $95,838 | Not available | Not reported |
| Natural Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $95,507 | $23,681 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Master's Degree | $92,158 | Not available | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $88,307 | Not available | 0 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Master's Degree | $85,062 | Not available | Not reported |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $84,831 | Not available | 0 |
| Education, General | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $82,596 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $78,996 | $19,937 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $74,154 | $20,126 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Harvard University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.