Harvard's Record Class: 90% of Foreign Students Enroll, With Half Receiving Free Tuition

For the first time in years, Harvard College has enrolled a record number of international students. This jump happened right after the school brought back the requirement for standardized test scores.

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On Thursday, the Ivy League school released new information about its Class of 2029. This is the first group of students accepted since Harvard brought back the required standardized tests. They accepted 2,003 applicants, and 1,675 (83.6%) chose to attend. This marks the fifth year in a row that Harvard's yield rate (students who accept the offer) has been above 83%.

Analyzing the Rise in Diversity

Harvard received 47,893 applications, which is 10% more than the last time they required standardized test scores (Class of 2023). This new class is very diverse, with students coming from all 50 U.S. states and 92 countries. Notably, 15% of the incoming class are international students, and a very high 90.3% of those accepted chose to enroll.

Looking at students who shared their race, the class included: 41% Asian American, 11.5% African American or Black, 11% Hispanic or Latino, and nearly 2% Native American/Pacific Islander. About 8% of the class chose not to share their race. Note that if a student picked more than one race, they are counted in each category. These race details are only available after all admissions decisions are finalized.

20% of the class are first-generation students. Overall, 45% of the students are attending the College with free tuition—a result of Harvard's major financial aid expansion. Of that group, more than half are receiving a completely free Harvard education, covering tuition, housing, food, and other fees.

The incoming class includes 16 veterans. Additionally, 12 transfer students joined, and 75 students were accepted from the wait-list.

Looking at U.S. students, the largest groups came from:

• The Middle Atlantic (20.6%)

• New England (17.8%)

• The Southern US (15.9%)

• The Pacific region (13.6%)

The Midwest made up 10% of the class, followed by the Mountain region (3.2%) and the Central region (1.6%).

William Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions, stated that the Class of 2029 comes from everywhere—big cities, small towns, and many different countries. He stressed that every student was chosen because they have the amazing potential to change the world, regardless of their background, high school, or personal situation. He added that even after major changes in college admissions and the effects of COVID, this class is a worthy and talented new group for Harvard.

The Significance of This Data

The high number of international students is especially important this year because of Harvard's recent conflict with the Trump administration. During his presidency, Donald Trump and his supporters criticized Harvard's admissions policies, claiming they were unfair. After this ongoing tension, the Trump administration created new immigration rules that could harm international students. Despite these challenges, Harvard promised to support all of its incoming and future international students.

Dean Hopi Hoekstra said the Class of 2029 shows everything that makes Harvard amazing. These exceptional students come from all over the world, ready to learn and expand their understanding of themselves and the world. She stressed that Harvard's commitment to giving everyone a chance will not change, despite economic shifts. She feels great pride and optimism that nearly half the class will attend tuition-free, believing these students will help shape the future.

At the same time, the Trump administration sent a proposal, or "compact," to nine major U.S. universities. This deal asked the schools to agree to certain policy demands in return for easier access to federal money.

The nine schools that got this offer were MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, UPenn, USC, UT Austin, Arizona, UVA, and Vanderbilt. The main rules they were asked to agree to included limiting the total number of international undergraduate students to 15% and ensuring no more than 5% came from any single country. If they signed, these universities would get easier access to federal money and grants.

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