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

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

4.0

Jan 30, 2009

Working for a large decentralized university has its ups and downs -> Mostly Positive and good experience thus far.

Web designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

During the recession there is definitely a sense of security. The benefits are excellent for my family. I have great coworkers and boss.

Cons

At times excessively bureaucratic. There can be unexpected and sweeping changes to day to day things from far above. But overall it is not that bad to deal with, everyone gets taken care of in the end.

5.0

Jan 16, 2009

Harvard: A great place to work for so many reasons!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits, Benefits, Benefits! Harvard is known for this but the other great advantage are your fellow employees. There are so many interesting, quality people who work here it's been a joy to come to the office. I find the questions and challenges I face in my job to be interesting as well. We're in tough times right now in every sector but all the same at Harvard there are the resources to try new things within your organization and in general the senior management is excited to hear about new and better ways to approach problems. Harvard's also a meritocracy in the truest sense. Talent is rewarded in ways that aren't possible in most Higher Education Institutions in Boston.

Cons

There is only so far someone not in a faculty position can go at Harvard. If you are a manager and want to move up, there's only so far you can go. I also feel like the biggest challenge at Harvard is communication. Almost every part of the University faces this problem.

4.0

Dec 26, 2008

Postdoc in Harvard Medical School

Postdoctoral fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

reputation, career opportunities and growth, chances to expose to cutting-edge research work

Cons

highly competitive, sacrifice of personal life, insufficient salaries compared to the living expenses in the city of Boston

Viewing 4036 - 4038 of 4,062 Reviews

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Working for a large decentralized university has its ups and downs -> Mostly Positive and good experience thus far.

Harvard: A great place to work for so many reasons!

Postdoc in Harvard Medical School

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