Is Harvard University a good company to work for?

Harvard University has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 4,622 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 84% of employees would recommend working at Harvard University to a friend and 67% 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 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Harvard University?

84% of Harvard University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Harvard University 3.9 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 (272) , 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 292 reviews)); "great colleagues to work and discuss with" ((in 155 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work/life balance" ((in 94 reviews)); "The hours are flexible and fairly easy" ((in 89 reviews)); "There are many opportunities to collaborate in related fields and attend talks or seminars in entirely different fields that are of interest." ((in 63 reviews))

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

"Low pay but high for education" ((in 215 reviews)); "Salaries are low but I believe this to be the case in higher ed more generally." ((in 152 reviews)); "Toxic culture (depending on lab/department)" ((in 48 reviews)); "Toxic managers and workplaces were tolerated if the work got done." ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior management and their leadership" ((in 20 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

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Harvard University

Harvard University reviews

4.2

84% would recommend to a friend

(4,073 total reviews)

Alan Garber

81% approve of CEO

67% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Career opportunities

3.9

Culture & values

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.8

Compensation and benefits

3.6

Senior management

Harvard University has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,073 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

4.0

Jan 6, 2013

teaching fellow for harvard extension school

Teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

well paid and less work. 20 hours/week. i teach weekly section and office hour. there are 4 teaching fellows in a section of 80 student. all of the other teaching fellows have taken this course so it is very easy to manage them

Cons

the tuition is not waived for this position, so the salary cannot cover everything and i still need financial aid from somewhere else

3.0

Jan 3, 2013

Excellent benefits, terrible HR

Research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Harvard has some of the best benefits around - time off, health and retirement, discounts on Boston events, etc. Generally good people. Network is huge, so there are a lot of resources to take advantage of.

Cons

HR is incompetent, and there is a lot of competition at Harvard, so it can be a high stress environment.

5.0

Jan 2, 2013

Great Employer Taken for Granted

Human resources associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Harvard is one of the few employers I have experienced that really cares about employees. Benefits are great, pay is always being analyzed, and it is truly mission-based. If I hadn't moved away I would probably have spent my whole career there.

Cons

Different schools don't always communicate well. Pay is lower than private sector. Some issues with faculty and student egos.

Viewing 3841 - 3843 of 4,073 Reviews

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Jobs at Harvard University

Administrative Coordinator

Security Control Center Operator

Cambridge, MA

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teaching fellow for harvard extension school

Excellent benefits, terrible HR

Great Employer Taken for Granted

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