Is Harvard University a good company to work for?

Harvard University has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 4,621 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 83% of employees would recommend working at Harvard University to a friend and 69% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Harvard University have been left by employees working as Undergraduate Course Assistant , Course Assistant and Intern .

Does Harvard University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Harvard University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Harvard University. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Harvard University?

83% of Harvard University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Harvard University 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Harvard University?

Research Assistant (271) , Postdoctoral Fellow (231) , PhD Student (100) , Graduate Student (93) , Research Associate (86) , Teaching Fellow (67) , Teaching Assistant (63) , Graduate Research Assistant (60) , PhD Graduate Student (50) , Staff Assistant (50) , Program Coordinator (43) , Research Fellow (43) , Researcher (41) , Director (35) , Intern (34)

What are the pros of working at Harvard University according to real employee reviews?

"Nice to work with and the people are great." ((in 291 reviews)); "great colleagues to work and discuss with" ((in 161 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work/life balance" ((in 96 reviews)); "The hours are flexible and fairly easy" ((in 96 reviews)); "There are many opportunities to collaborate in related fields and attend talks or seminars in entirely different fields that are of interest." ((in 64 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Harvard University according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low for the cost of living but worth it if you make the most of it." ((in 222 reviews)); "Salaries are low but I believe this to be the case in higher ed more generally." ((in 147 reviews)); "Toxic culture (depending on lab/department)" ((in 47 reviews)); "Toxic managers and workplaces were tolerated if the work got done." ((in 23 reviews)); "Senior management and their leadership" ((in 18 reviews))

What are employees saying about Harvard University layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Harvard University layoffs and their outlook for job security at Harvard University in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Harvard University locations?

Cambridge , Boston , New York , Harvard , Allston , Washington , Harvard , San Antonio , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Cambridge , Somerville , Houston , Denver , Miami , Brockton , Brookline , Jamaica Plain , Malden , Atlanta , Jersey City , Ohio , Boston , Brooklyn , Madison , Orono , Lander , Austin , Frisco , Lubbock

Harvard University reviews

4.2

83% would recommend to a friend

(4,072 total reviews)

Alan Garber

80% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (4,072 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Harvard University has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,072 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Harvard University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

5.0

Aug 12, 2009

Great benefits and access to world class resources

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits and access to world class resources. Working with leading experts on international issues. Tuistion assistance at Harvard Extension School is another huge benefit.

Cons

Personally, the research was interesting but after a while became slow moving. If you enjoy a wide range of issues this may not be the place for you as the work tends to be specialized.

1.0

Aug 3, 2009

Read before applying at HMS!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits, paid week off from Christmas to New Years, and 35 hour work week.

Cons

low salary, no opportunities for promotion, over worked, unfair treatment among co-workers from Management, unfair work loads, sexist treatment, and poor communication.

4.0

Jul 1, 2009

Tough program.

Graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Many of the graduate programs are well regarded. The training is very rigorous and having a degree was very helpful in finding an academic job. The teaching load is low and students are given a lot of freedom.

Cons

It is often difficult to get professors to pay attention to you. The program is somewhat unstructured and this can be difficult to deal with for some people.

Viewing 4036 - 4038 of 4,072 Reviews

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Faculty Assistant and Program Coordinator

Cambridge, MA

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Labor Relations Data and Reporting Analyst

Research Associate (Writing Focused)