College Admits 7.5 Percent of Early Applicants

The class of 2027 begins to take shape.

Memorial Church in Harvard Yard

Memorial Church in Harvard Yard | Photograph by Niko Yaitanes/Harvard Magazine

Today, 722 of 9,553 early-action applicants were admitted to the College class of 2027. This 7.5 percent acceptance rate is slightly lower than last year’s 7.9 percent.

Of the admitted cohort, 14 percent come from first-generation college backgrounds, up from the nearly 12 percent last year, and 10.8 percent are eligible for federal Pell Grants—for which lower-income families qualify. African Americans comprised 14.4 percent of the class (up from 13.9 percent last year), Asian Americans 29.1 percent (up from 25.9 percent last year), Latinx 8.4 percent (down from 10.5 percent last year), and Native Americans and Native Hawaiians 1.7 percent (down from 3.7 percent last year). International students comprised 14.1 percent of those admitted today—an increase from last year’s 12.6 percent.

This is the third admissions cycle for which Harvard has not required SAT or ACT standardized test scores in its application, due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s continued effect on access to testing for high-school students. The College will continue to make score-reporting optional for the admitted classes through 2030.

The class of 2027 is the second admitted cohort to receive expanded financial aid packages under the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative (HFAI) for low- and middle-income families. The full cost of attending Harvard—including tuition, housing and food, and all fees—is free for international and domestic families with annual incomes below $75,000, increased from the $65,000 threshold of previous years. 

Students were notified of early action decisions at 7 p.m. today, and those admitted are not obligated to attend. They have until May 1 to make their final decision. All students deferred in early action will be reconsidered during the regular action cycle, with those decisions slated for March 30, 2023.

The College plans to welcome admitted students for an in-person Visitas weekend this spring, April 23-24.

Read more articles by Nancy Walecki

You might also like

Harvard will rename the building following a $100 million gift from Stuart Zimmer ’91.

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.

The Goel Center in Allston will open for performances in the fall of 2026.

Most popular

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

Pritzker Hall, designed for collaboration, should be complete in 2027.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Explore More From Current Issue

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

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

Graduates in caps and gowns celebrate joyfully, raising their hands in excitement.

Conan O’Brien headlines a star-studded cast

Aerial view of modern high-rise buildings surrounded by greenery and city skyline.

In a sea of red brick, the Science Center and Peabody Terrace make their mark.