What You Need For Harvard: SAT Scores and GPA (2024)

What are Harvard's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Harvard. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: Cambridge, MA

This school is also known as: Harvard University, Harvard College, Harvard University

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Harvard Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into Harvard University.

Average SAT: 1520

The average SAT score composite at Harvard is a 1520.

Harvard SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1460, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1580.

In other words, a 1460 places you below average, while a 1580 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 1460 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	770	760	800
Reading + Writing	750	730	780
Composite	1520	1460	1580

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Average GPA: 4

The average GPA at Harvard is 4. This makes Harvard Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

Admissions Rate: 3.2%

The acceptance rate at Harvard is 3.2%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 3 are admitted.

This means the school isvery selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1580 SAT and a 4 GPA or higher to be above average.

This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1520 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.

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Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at Harvard University?

Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test:SATACT

SAT Score

Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:

80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
50-80%: More likely than not getting in
20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Try to take your current SAT score and add 160 points to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Harvard, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Harvard.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Harvard. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Chicago	Chicago, IL	1520	34
Princeton University	Princeton, NJ	1518	34
Yale University	New Haven, CT	1515	34

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Harvard, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, PA	1510	34
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	1500	34
Dartmouth College	Hanover, NH	1500	34
Tufts University	Medford, MA	1465	33
Northeastern University	Boston, MA	1465	34
New York University	New York, NY	1455	34
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	1435	33

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Harvard, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Harvard is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, MA	1435	33
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	1393	30
Binghamton University	Binghamton, NY	1375	31

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