Photo credit: Megan M. Ross
Makeup of the Class

By Jessica M. Wang and Brian P. Yu

The Crimson's survey of more than 50 percent of incoming freshmen in Harvard College’s Class of 2021 asked them about their backgrounds and expectations for life on campus. Read Part I of The Crimson's three-part series on the freshman survey here.

Demographics

  • Gender

  • Ethnicity

  • Athletics

  • Recruited Athletes by Family Income

  • Sexuality

  • Birth Order

  • Secondary School

  • Legacy by Community

  • Legacy by Family Income

  • Legacy

    A previous version of this graph incorrectly indicated the percentage of legacy respondents.

  • Legacy by Secondary School

  • Transgender Students

  • First Generation Students

  • First Generation Student Ethnicity

  • First Generation Students Receiving Financial Aid

  • First Generation Students' Family Income

Geography

  • Demograhics

      2017
      2018
      2019
      2020
      2021

    Mouse over region to see data.

    41.1%
    of students are from the Northeast.

    73.4%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    88.7%
    of students from the Northeast expect to return after graduating.

    11.7%
    of students are from the Southeast.

    2.5%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    12.2%
    of students from the Southeast expect to return after graduating.

    13.8%
    of students are from the Midwest.

    2.6%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    18.6%
    of students from the Midwest expect to return after graduating.

    7.8%
    of students are from the Southwest.

    1.3%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    10.0%
    of students from the Southwest expect to return after graduating.

    14.5%
    of students are from the West.

    10.7%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    42.2%
    of students from the West expect to return after graduating.

    43.1%
    of students are from the Northeast.

    70.7%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    34.7%
    of students from the Northeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    10.6%
    of students are from the Southeast.

    2.6%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    20.3%
    of students from the Southeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    11.0%
    of students are from the Midwest.

    2.3%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    22.8%
    of students from the Midwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    6.8%
    of students are from the Southwest.

    2.4%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    21.8%
    of students from the Southwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    16.9%
    of students are from the West.

    14.2%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    24.6%
    of students from the West have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    11.6%
    of students are from outide the US.

    7.8%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    14.9%
    of students from outside the US have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    38.3%
    of students are from the Northeast.

    70.8%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    35.9%
    of students from the Northeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    12.5%
    of students are from the Southeast.

    1.4%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    26.6%
    of students from the Southeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    12.3%
    of students are from the Midwest.

    2.5%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    23.6%
    of students from the Midwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    7.0%
    of students are from the Southwest.

    1.1%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    13.6%
    of students from the Southwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    18.5%
    of students are from the West.

    13.7%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    28.6%
    of students from the West have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    11.2%
    of students are from outide the US.

    10.2%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    14.0%
    of students from outside the US have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    39.2%
    of students are from the Northeast.

    90.0%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    46.8%
    of students from the Northeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    12.0%
    of students are from the Southeast.

    9.2%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    32.1%
    of students from the Southeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    11.2%
    of students are from the Midwest.

    20.5%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    30.4%
    of students from the Midwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    6.7%
    of students are from the Southwest.

    16.5%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    20.3%
    of students from the Southwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    18.1%
    of students are from the West.

    46.2%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    38.5%
    of students from the West have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    12.6%
    of students are from outide the US.

    39.6%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    15.0%
    of students from outside the US have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    39.4%
    of students are from the Northeast.

    70.1%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    39.6%
    of students from the Northeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    13.3%
    of students are from the Southeast.

    1.9%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    21.4%
    of students from the Southeast have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    12.3%
    of students are from the Midwest.

    3.3%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    23.5%
    of students from the Midwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    6.9%
    of students are from the Southwest.

    1.4%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    13.7%
    of students from the Southwest have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    15.6%
    of students are from the West.

    13.6%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    32.6%
    of students from the West have a relative that went to Harvard College.

    12.4%
    of students are from outide the US.

    9.6%
    of students plan to live there after college.

    15.2%
    of students from outside the US have a relative that went to Harvard College.

  • Community Type

Employment

  • Anticipated Starting Salary

  • Anticipated Starting Salary by Gender

  • Anticipated Employment Field by Gender

  • Anticipated Post-Graduate Occupation by Secondary School Type

College Costs

  • Harvard Financial Aid Recipients

  • Family Income Distribution

  • Financial Aid by Community Type

  • College Counseling

  • Private Admissions Counseling by Income Bracket

College Acceptances

  • Early Action

  • Legacy Admission

  • Legacy Diversity

  • Was Harvard Your Top Choice?

  • Early Action Top Choice

  • Early Admission by Income Bracket

  • Early Admission by School Type