How strong is Harvard's computer science major for undergraduates?
I'm a high school junior trying to build a college list, and I'm interested in computer science but also want a school with strong academics outside of STEM.
Harvard is obviously well known overall, but I'm having trouble figuring out how good its CS major actually is for undergrads compared to schools that are more engineering-focused.
Harvard is obviously well known overall, but I'm having trouble figuring out how good its CS major actually is for undergrads compared to schools that are more engineering-focused.
2 months ago
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Sundial Team
2 months ago
Harvard’s undergraduate CS program is very strong, even if it is not usually the first school people think of in the same way as a heavily engineering-focused tech university. For undergrads, it offers excellent teaching, a large and well-respected faculty, strong research access, and very strong recruiting outcomes.
One of Harvard’s biggest advantages is that computer science sits inside a university with exceptional strength across nearly every field. If you want CS plus math, economics, linguistics, psychology, government, or even philosophy, Harvard is especially appealing because those combinations are easy to build into your academic path.
The main difference from more engineering-centered schools is not that Harvard is weak in CS. It is that the overall culture is broader and less dominated by engineering. If you want a very technical environment where a huge share of students are doing engineering and computer science every day, some other schools may feel more specialized. If you want top-tier CS within a broader liberal arts and research university setting, Harvard is one of the best options.
Students have access to research labs, and strong connections to startups, big tech, and graduate study.
One of Harvard’s biggest advantages is that computer science sits inside a university with exceptional strength across nearly every field. If you want CS plus math, economics, linguistics, psychology, government, or even philosophy, Harvard is especially appealing because those combinations are easy to build into your academic path.
The main difference from more engineering-centered schools is not that Harvard is weak in CS. It is that the overall culture is broader and less dominated by engineering. If you want a very technical environment where a huge share of students are doing engineering and computer science every day, some other schools may feel more specialized. If you want top-tier CS within a broader liberal arts and research university setting, Harvard is one of the best options.
Students have access to research labs, and strong connections to startups, big tech, and graduate study.
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