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 302 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 90 reviews)); "There are many opportunities to collaborate in related fields and attend talks or seminars in entirely different fields that are of interest." ((in 57 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 216 reviews)); "Salaries are low but I believe this to be the case in higher ed more generally." ((in 151 reviews)); "Toxic managers and workplaces were tolerated if the work got done." ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior management and their leadership" ((in 19 reviews)); "Low compensation (although most higher ed is)" ((in 17 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

3.0

Jun 24, 2008

Great place to work if pay doesn't matter to you

Marketing coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits include Dental, Medical, and you can tap into the Universities resources from concierge services, to housing and real estate services to discounts on tickets Vacation is good. You automatically get the week between Christmas and New Years off and it doesn't count toward your vacation Work/Life Balance: When you go home you don't stress about work Its nice to be on a very pretty campus which is more casual and less corporate

Cons

There seems to be lower pay.

3.0

Jun 23, 2008

Harvard is no different!

Individual contributor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Harvard has excellent benefits and salary which is most likely the main reason that employees remain at Harvard.

Cons

While Harvard promotes itself as one of the "best places to work," be mindful that once you get your foot in the door, it is a political, bureaucratic machine that, at best, moves at a snail's pace to move ideas forward.

4.0

Jun 20, 2008

Benefits and Resources are unparalleled

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The best reasons to work are Harvard are the benefits and resources available to employees.

Cons

Office politics, bureaucracy and big egos get in the way of smooth operation in some departments.

Viewing 4057 - 4059 of 4,062 Reviews

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