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Cambridge, MA · History

History at Harvard

Harvard graduates about 161 history majors a year, 10% of its graduating class. That puts it 1st of 692 schools we score for history, a standout program at 99 out of 100. Graduates in the major earn a median $71,000 four years out, 1.39× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $39 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

99/100Standout#1 of 692 for history →
Graduates a year16110% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$71,0001.39× the same major nationally
Research in the field$39Ma year, NSF
Admit rate4%whole school
SAT middle 50%1490–1580whole school

Around Harvard

A rack for locking electric scooters outside Cabot Science Library at Harvard Un
Electric scooter rack outside Cabot Science Library Harvard Feb 2025Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0 · source
Tablet inside entrance vestibule, Widener Library, Harvard University. "Harry El
WidenerLibrary HarvardUniversity HarryElkinsWidenerTabletPhoto: Kelly DeLay · CC BY 2.5 · source
Harvard University
Widener Library at Harvard University - panoramioPhoto: Jiaqian AirplaneFan · CC BY 3.0 · source
Cambridge, MA
Littauer Center Fine Arts Library - Harvard University (54939978652)Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0 · source

Where history happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Harvard-Yenching Library, Widener Library, Houghton Library, Leverett House Library, Library Commons, Lamont Library.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 130 · Dorm 62 · Student housing 22 · Arts 6 · Library 6 · Chapel 4.

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Nearby in the history ranking

  1. Princeton University 99
  2. Yale University 98
  3. Brown University 97
  4. Columbia University 96

Other strong majors at Harvard

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares Harvard with every school we score in history. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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