Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) has announced a significant reduction in PhD admissions for the next two academic years. The move affects nearly every department, with the most severe cuts seen in science and humanities programmes.

According to internal documents cited by The Hill, the number of doctoral students admitted in sciences will drop by over 75 per cent, while arts and humanities programmes will see a decline of around 60 per cent. Several social science departments are also planning to cut admissions by 50 to 70 per cent.

For instance, the History Department will accept only 5 PhD students annually, compared with 13 last year. The Molecular and Cellular Biology and Chemistry and Chemical Biology departments expect to admit just 4 or 5 new students per year. In some small departments, faculty have been told that they may not admit any new students during one of the two affected years.

FAS Dean Hopi E Hoekstra said the decision was driven by ongoing financial strain, rising operational costs, and a mounting federal endowment tax, which costs the university about USD 300 million each year. The dean’s office noted that the cuts are part of a plan to “review and recalibrate” Harvard’s graduate education model while maintaining existing commitments to current students.

Faculty members have voiced concern that the steep reduction could disrupt the continuity of research and teaching across departments. Some warned that fewer admissions may limit diversity in future cohorts, and weaken Harvard’s position in global academia.

While the university has not announced when admissions will return to normal levels, officials said they will reassess the situation in 2027 once funding and research support conditions stabilise.