Harvard College released acceptance data showing that it accepted a higher percentage of students for the class of 2028 than the prior class-year, marking the second year in a row that the acceptance percentage ticked upwards. The Class of 2028 was selected in the first cycle since the Supreme Court repealed affirmative action last year for college admissions. Total applications are down from the classes of 2027 and 2026, while tuition cost at Harvard has risen. Regardless, an acceptance to Harvard is widely considered to be the one of the most coveted for any aspiring college student. 

Admissions Stats

• Harvard College accepted 3.59% of applicants to its class of 2028, the first cycle since the Supreme Court repealed affirmative action last year for college admissions. The acceptance rate rose from 3.41% for the class of 2027 and a record low of 3.19% for the class of 2026, according to data from the Harvard Crimson. 

• Harvard’s class of 2028 amounts to 1,937 incoming students, of whom 692 were accepted in early admission in December, selected from a pool of 54,008 applicants, Crimson data shows. 

• Applications were down from 56,937 for the class of 2027, and the record high of 61,220 for the class of 2026, which followed a steady rise for most of the preceding twenty years. 

Supreme Court Ruling

• Harvard’s release of admissions data for the class of 2028 omitted race and ethnicity. The college said that it will withhold this data until admitted students accept or decline their offers, according to the Crimson. 

• The 6-2 Supreme Court ruling in June determined that considering race in higher education admissions is unconstitutional. Colleges and universities are able to still collect data on race and ethnicity, but must ensure that they do not factor into admissions considerations. 

Class Demographics

• Harvard’s incoming freshman class hails from all fifty states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Following the Supreme Court ruling, the college also joined the Small Town Outreach, Recruitment, and Yield consortium, a group of universities that aims to encourage applicants from rural areas. 

• More than 15% of accepted students are international, coming from 94 different countries. 21 of the admitted students are veterans, while 41 students expressed interest in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the Crimson said. 

• Women constitute 53.1% of the incoming freshman class, amounting to the seventh year in a row that female students make up a majority. 

Testing, Tuition, and Financial Aid

• The class of 2028 is the fourth class selected through a standardized-test-optional admissions process. Some other Ivy League colleges including Yale and Dartmouth have resumed requiring that applicants take standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT following a hiatus of several years. 

• Tuition rose to $82,866 for the new class, a 4.3% climb from last year’s cost of $79,450. However, Harvard did not increase its threshold for full financial aid. For students with annual family incomes of below $85,000, tuition will still be free, the same as last year. Since last year, Harvard also offers a “launch grant” of $2,000 to students in this category in their junior year to help them with the costs associated with seeking post-graduation employment or higher education. 

• 20.7% of applicants in this application cycle qualified for Pell grants, according to the Harvard Gazette. 

Looking Forward

• The Crimson did a round-up last month of the reactions of various members of the class of 2028 to receiving their acceptance letters. Some of them expressed feeling overjoyed, shocked and emotional to be accepted by the storied institution. 

Conclusion

The admissions data for Harvard's Class of 2028 underscores significant trends and shifts in the college admissions landscape. The rise in the acceptance rate, coupled with a decrease in applications and the repeal of affirmative action, highlights the evolving dynamics of the process. Prospective students and their families should take note of these changes and consider the importance of early preparation and strategic application planning. Utilizing expert help and college admissions consultants, such as those from The Ivy Institute, can provide invaluable guidance and support in navigating this increasingly complex and competitive admissions environment.