Is Harvard University a good company to work for?

Harvard University has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 4,608 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 86% of employees would recommend working at Harvard University to a friend and 71% 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?

86% of Harvard University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Harvard University 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Harvard University?

Research Assistant (271) , Postdoctoral Fellow (229) , PhD Student (99) , Graduate Student (93) , Research Associate (85) , Teaching Fellow (67) , Teaching Assistant (63) , Graduate Research Assistant (59) , PhD Graduate Student (50) , Staff Assistant (50) , Program Coordinator (43) , Research Fellow (42) , 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 281 reviews)); "great colleagues to work and discuss with" ((in 147 reviews)); "The hours are flexible and fairly easy" ((in 94 reviews)); "Flexibility and good work/life balance" ((in 83 reviews)); "Great opportunity to get research experience in your CV." ((in 64 reviews))

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

"Low pay but high for education" ((in 212 reviews)); "Salaries are low but I believe this to be the case in higher ed more generally." ((in 150 reviews)); "Toxic managers and workplaces were tolerated if the work got done." ((in 23 reviews)); "Low compensation (although most higher ed is)" ((in 21 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 Harvard University locations have received the highest employee ratings?

Allston , New York , Boston , Cambridge , Harvard

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Harvard University

Harvard University reviews

4.2

86% would recommend to a friend

(4,062 total reviews)

Alan Garber

82% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Work/Life balance

4.0

Culture & values

4.0

Career opportunities

3.8

Compensation and benefits

3.6

Senior management

Harvard University has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,062 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

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

3.0

Mar 30, 2009

Harvard: Good benefits, limited career growth potential

Systems administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are good -- though not the best. Having Harvard as a resume line doesn't hurt. Having a defined pension is very good -- virtually unheard of in "the real world." Other perks are available as well, and Harvard is an excellent place for when one's "work/life" balance requirements are heavily skewed toward the "life" aspect.

Cons

Limited to no career growth potential. It's hard to get a job at Harvard, and once inside, it's a feat of strength to move up, particularly in another part of the university. Lateral moves are possible, but even those are hard to come by.

4.0

Mar 17, 2009

Good place to start out, but opportunities end quickly

Staff assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent benefits and an amazing array of cultural opportunities on-site and with the discount program. The hours are much better than the private sector, with work-life balance really being a top priority. Great name recognition for future opportunities as well. Oh, and the opportunity for staff to take free classes for Harvard credit!

Cons

The lower level staff positions are union, so there is almost no chance for natural career growth through promotions based on performance. You just have to wait until someone vacates another job and then apply for it. The compensation is quite a bit below a comparable private sector job, though still not terrible.

3.0

Mar 13, 2009

Great benefits, job is alright.

Staff assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

excellent benefits and not just health but within the greater Boston area, discounts to all sorts of things. good intellectual opportunities through lectures and talks and such around campus. the extension school provides an incredible opportunities to get degrees and certificates. Also once you work for Harvard it is much easier to get a different job in a different Harvard school or department.

Cons

poor management. pay inst great. people can be really frustrating to work with. a lot of big egos float around no matter what school or department you are in. Also it is HUGE so it can take a while to get a good understanding of how everything works. Not a lot of feedback or positive reinforcement. My particular job (staff assistant) doesn't require much brain power which most of the time I hate.

Viewing 4030 - 4032 of 4,062 Reviews

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Harvard: Good benefits, limited career growth potential

Good place to start out, but opportunities end quickly

Great benefits, job is alright.

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