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

Ruth J. Simmons Receives the 2026 Radcliffe Medal

Michelle Obama, Drew Gilpin Faust, and others paid tribute to the pioneering educator during Harvard’s Radcliffe Day festivities. 

Harvard Elects New Overseers, HAA Directors

Leaders for the governing board and alumni association were chosen by an alumni vote.

Mychal Threets Brings ‘Library Joy’ to Harvard

The librarian and social media star gave the keynote address for Harvard Graduate School of Education’s convocation.

Most popular

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Harvard Confers Five Honorary Degrees at the 2026 Commencement

O’Brien joins journalists, a scholar of AI, and a Broadway star.

Commencement Day with Conan O’Brien

The comedian headlined a star-studded cast for Harvard’s 375th Commencement exercises.

Explore More From Current Issue

Bronze statues of three historical figures under a stylized tree in a softly lit space.

The Costly Choice Native Americans Faced

How the Revolution reshaped indigenous New England

Katie Benzan stands on a basketball court holding a ball, with a hoop in the background.

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

A dancer in a black leotard poses gracefully in a bright studio, with mirrors reflecting her movement.

A New Black Swan Musical Cranks Up the Tension

The creative team of the A.R.T.’s new show dish on adapting Darren Aronofsky’s thriller classic from screen to stage.