83 Percent of Admitted Students to Join Harvard College Class of 2026

More than 83 percent of students admitted to Harvard College’s Class of 2026 will matriculate this fall, the College announced Wednesday.

The class will include record-high proportions of women, Asian Americans, first generation college students, and Native American and Hawaiian students, according to data released by the school.

The yield rate marks a decrease from last year, when a record-high 85 percent of admitted students joined the Class of 2025.

More than 61,200 students applied for admission to the Class of 2026, up almost 7 percent from the previous year’s record of over 57,000. More than 1,950 students received offers of admission, setting a record low acceptance rate of just 3.13 percent.

“The Class of 2026 has demonstrated great promise for the future at a time of pandemic and economic uncertainty,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said in a press release. “Harvard is fortunate these students have chosen to come here, and we are looking forward to their arrival.”

Women comprise a record-high 55 percent of the incoming class, up almost 3 percentage points from the Class of 2025.

Asian Americans make up 27.6 percent of the class, 2 percentage points higher than the previous record, set by the Class of 2023. The increase comes as the Supreme Court is set to take up a lawsuit from the anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions accusing Harvard of discriminating against Asian American applicants.

African American students comprise 14.4 percent of the class, roughly on par with the Class of 2025. 11.9 percent of the incoming class identifies as Latinx, virtually identical to the 11.7 percent of the Class of 2025 and 11.8 percent of the Class of 2024. Native Americans and Hawaiians make up a record high 3.6 percent of the incoming class, up significantly from the 1.5 percent of the Class of 2025.

A record-high 19.4 percent of the class will be first generation college students, an increase from the 18.6 percent of the Class of 2025. The class of 2026 includes 14 veterans, a decrease from the 18 in the Class of 2025. Thirty-two incoming students expressed interest in ROTC.

Harvard announced an expansion of its financial aid program in April, raising the threshold of zero-cost attendance from $65,000 to $75,000 of annual income. About 24 percent of the Class of 2026 falls under the threshold, in line with the rest of the College.

—Staff writer Rahem D. Hamid can be reached at rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Nia L. Orakwue can be reached at nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com.