Faculty Composition

Harvard's faculty consists of both tenured professors and "ladder faculty" (associate and assistant professors), and other teaching...

Harvard's faculty consists of both tenured professors and "ladder faculty" (associate and assistant professors), and other teaching faculty (professors of practice, lecturers, adjuncts, and visitors). Adjusted to full-time equivalents, the heft of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences becomes apparent. So does the mix -- of regular faculty appointees versus others, often practitioners (compare business and law, for example). These data for the fall of 2003 exclude hospital-based medical-faculty members (who equal those shown, from the "Quad" departments), and 9,000-plus unpaid medical and dental clinical appointees.


Chart by Stephen Anderson



Most popular

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

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

Trump Administration Asks Appeals Court to Restore Harvard Funding Cuts

The government’s lawyers homed in on a jurisdictional argument for its authority to to terminate federal grants. 

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Explore More From Current Issue

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

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

A vase of yellow flowers on a table next to an orange and a glass.

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

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

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026