Harvard Class of ‘22 by the Numbers
Crimson | Crimson Survey Results
The Crimson recently completed its in-depth survey of the Harvard College Class of 2022. The survey was emailed to 1,269 students with responses submitted anonymously. 493 completed the survey, or 39%. Of note: 55% are registered Democrats and 4% Republicans. 27% identify as holding “very progressive” views while 2% hold “very conservative” views. 94% hold an unfavorable view of former President Trump and 30% an unfavorable view of President Biden. 56% feel the country is on the wrong track. 68% favor race-conscious admissions while 14% do not. Some other findings of interest to follow.
Politics/Values
55% of ‘22 are registered Democrats, 4% registered Republicans, 14% Independents and ~25% not registered
27% identify as holding “very progressive” views (an increase from 20% when they entered Harvard)
4% identify as holding conservative views and 2% very conservative views (from 7% and 2% prior to entering Harvard)
94% hold an unfavorable view of former President Trump
52% hold a favorable view of President Biden; 30% hold an unfavorable view (66% of class of 2021 viewed Biden favorably in 2021)
Foreign Policy
43% approve of the Afghanistan withdrawal decision, 22% disapprove
34% favorably view BDS; 21% view BDS unfavorably
Domestic Policy and Issues
54% respond favorably to defunding or abolishing ICE; 20% disapprove
55% support the Green New Deal; 14% disapprove
15% approve of Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter; 56% disapprove
68% approve of social media platform decisions to remove/restrict Trump; 15% disapprove
56% feel the country is “off on the wrong track”; 14% think it’s “generally headed in the right direction”; 30% are unsure
Harvard Policies and Issues
Leadership
33% view Bacow favorably ( 22% in 2021); 24% view Bacow unfavorably (42% in 2021); 36% have no opinion
54% view Khurana favorably (40% in 2021); 20% view Khurana unfavorably (39% in 2021)
30% view Gay favorably (22% in 2021); 18% view Gay unfavorably (23% 2021); 42% have no opinion
Affirmative Action
68% hold a favorable opinion of race-conscious admissions; 14% hold an unfavorable opinion (broken down by select racial and ethnic categories, favorable views are held by 88% of Black respondents, 75% of Hispanics or LatinX respondents, 66% of Asian respondents and 66% of white respondents)
Divestment
74% favor Harvard’s decision to divest from fossil fuels; 7% are opposed
72% favor Harvard divesting from the private prison industry
Police Trust
58% say they fully or somewhat trust the Harvard University Police Dept. (broken down by select racial and ethnic categories—39% of Black respondents, 54% of Hispanics or LatinX respondents, 63% of Asian respondents and 59% of white respondents).
46% say they fully or somewhat trust the Cambridge Police Dept.
Sexual Assault + Mental Health
12% were sexually harassed or assaulted while at Harvard
39% sought mental health support from University Health Services while at Harvard; 31% sought mental health support from off-campus professionals [the % overlap is unclear here]
Academics
The most popular concentration was Computer Science, followed by Economics, Government, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (Social Studies came was 6th after being the 3rd in 2021)
69% had a GPA of 3.8 or higher vs. 64% in 2021 and 54% in 2020
82% had a GPA of 3.7 or higher (A- equals 3.67)
16% had a near-perfect GPA vs. 12% in 2021 and 9% in 2020
After Harvard
The most popular career choices are in the consulting (23%), finance (18%), and technology (17%) sectors
Nearly 50% will live in MA or NY
67% plan to work their first year out of college; 15% plan to enroll in professional or grad school
Nearly 70% will make $70,000+, ~ 30% $110,000+, 7% less than $30,000, and 1% have an unpaid position
56% anticipate financial support from parents, with 15% expecting a “substantial” level of support (e.g. rent)
14% will graduate with some kind of debt
