University News | March 30, 2011

Harvard College admissions rate falls to just over 6 percent for class of 2015

The College offers admission to 2,158 out of nearly 35,000 applicants.

Harvard College today announced that 2,158 students, from among 34,950 applicants, had been offered admission to the class of 2015, entering this August. The admission rate, slightly under 6.2 percent, fell from 6.9 percent last year, driven by a nearly 15 percent increase in the number of applicants (from 30,489 last year). Students have until May 1 to indicate their acceptance or rejection of the offer of admission; the visiting period for the accepted applicants, recently renamed "Visitas," this year falls on the weekend of April 16-18.

Read the full text of the news release.

Reported admissions rates at other institutions included 6.9 percent at Columbia, 7.1 percent at Stanford, 7.4 percent at Yale, 8.4 percent at Princeton, and 9.6 percent at MIT—all lower than in the prior year.

You might also like

Stone building with tall columns, steps leading up, and a flag atop under a cloudy sky.

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

Red brick building with large windows and greenery, set against a bright blue sky.

After a final round of layoffs, University leaders say 165 staff jobs were eliminated across the division.

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026

Most popular

Two laboratory researchers, one seated and one standing, in a scientific lab with equipment.

The stakes are high for this husband and wife: one of them will die if they don’t find a cure.

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Explore More From Current Issue

Football

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.

A busy classroom filled with students working at computers, colorful decor, and a bright atmosphere.

Technology

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

Three hands hold smartphones displaying social media profiles with likes and hearts.

Tell us about how social media impacts your daily life.