Massachusetts › Educational services › 5,000 to 24,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Harvard University Retirement Plan
Sponsored by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi, Cambridge, MA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, Harvard University Retirement Plan covered 8,705 participants and held $1.56B in net assets. The plan is a cash balance pension plan sponsored by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Net assets came to $178,869 per participant, well above the $87,623 median for defined benefit plans with 5,000 to 24,999 participants and well above the $86,333 median for defined benefit plans in educational services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $24.8M for the year ($9,301 per active participant) and benefits paid were $124M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 5 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $1.7M: $193 per participant, below the same-size median of $232. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $3.1M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $1.50B in 2010 to $1.56B in 2024 (up 4%), and participants from 11,923 to 8,705 (down 27%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $178,869 | $87,623 | $86,333 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $9,301 | $9,468 | $9,921 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $193 | $232 | $339 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.11% | 0.30% | 0.37% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $359 | $396 | $462 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 5,000 to 24,999 participants (651 plans), educational services (74) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8,705 | $1.56B | $178,869 | $24.8M | — | $1.7M |
| 2023 | 8,916 | $1.57B | $176,015 | $11.7M | — | $715K |
| 2022 | 9,070 | $1.51B | $166,840 | $33.2M | — | $1.6M |
| 2021 | 9,287 | $1.94B | $208,467 | $31.8M | — | $1.9M |
| 2020 | 9,553 | $1.98B | $206,861 | $69.8M | — | $2.2M |
| 2019 | 9,787 | $1.78B | $181,970 | $18.4M | — | $2.2M |
| 2018 | 9,949 | $1.60B | $160,744 | $76.8M | — | $1.7M |
| 2017 | 10,227 | $1.72B | $167,827 | $28.7M | — | $1.5M |
| 2016 | 10,389 | $1.58B | $151,634 | $30.7M | — | $1.5M |
| 2015 | 10,552 | $1.55B | $147,043 | $27.1M | — | $712K |
| 2014 | 10,760 | $1.64B | $152,391 | $26.6M | — | $801K |
| 2013 | 11,369 | $1.60B | $141,143 | $16.2M | — | $1.1M |
| 2012 | 11,408 | $1.54B | $135,147 | $39.7M | — | $378K |
| 2011 | 11,724 | $1.45B | $123,964 | $34.5M | — | $886K |
| 2010 | 11,923 | $1.50B | $125,792 | $17.2M | — | $671K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$1,569,351,747
- Employer contributions$24,796,982
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$24,796,982
- Total income, including investment results$114,514,164
- Benefits paid$123,685,369
- Administrative expenses$3,128,375
- Total expenses$126,813,744
- Net income−$12,299,580
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$1,557,052,167
Participants
- Active participants2,666
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2,975
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits2,689
- Total participants, end of year8,705
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Towers Watson | Actuarial | $610,596 | $0 |
| TIAA | Investment management fees paid indirectly by plan | $515,532 | $0 |
| Wellington Management Company, LLP | Investment management fees paid directly by plan | $358,015 | $0 |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC. | Accounting (including auditing) | $136,093 | $0 |
| Ropes & Gray | Legal | $64,067 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Salaries and allowances$3,087,843
- Contract administrator fees$40,532
- Total administrative expenses$3,128,375
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Common/collective trusts$742M · 47.6%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$563M · 36.1%
- Insurance company general account$210M · 13.5%
- Other investments$17.0M · 1.1%
- Receivables$14.1M · 0.9%
- Pooled separate accounts$5.3M · 0.3%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$5.2M · 0.3%
- Partnership/joint venture interests$985K · 0.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmPricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $5,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearYes
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1CCash balance or similar plan1FCode section 414(k) arrangement2CMoney purchase (other than target benefit) plan2AAge/service weighted or new comparability or similar plan1ABenefits are primarily pay related2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group2RParticipant-directed brokerage accounts provided as an investment option under the plan2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 611000: Educational Services (including schools, colleges, & universities).
Other plans of President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard University Tax Deferred Annuity Plan | 38,534 | $4.30B |
| Harvard University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | 25,749 | $2.03B |
| Retirement Income Plan for Teaching Faculty of Harvard University | 8,208 | $2.38B |
Similar plans in Massachusetts
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Basic Retirement Plan | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 30,211 | $5.74B | $190,155 |
| Holy Cross Retirement Plan for Nonexempt Employees | Trustees of the College of the Holy Cross | 839 | $86.3M | $102,828 |
| Berklee College of Music, Inc. Retirement Plan | Berklee College of Music, Inc. | 706 | $104M | $147,238 |
| Wellesley Coll Pension PLN for Classified Ofc and SVC Ees | Wellesley College | 393 | $69.4M | $176,470 |
| Massachusetts Teachers Association Retirement Plan | Massachusetts Teachers Association | 384 | $242M | $629,102 |
| Amherst College Staff Retirement Plan | Amherst College Trustees | 331 | $21.8M | $65,944 |
Defined benefit plans in educational services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Harvard University Retirement Plan?
8,705 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 2,666 were active employees, with net assets of $1,557,052,167. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 5,000 to 24,999 participants band, which held 651 plans in plan year 2024.
What does President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi contribute per participant?
The filing reports $24,796,982 in employer contributions for the year, which is $9,301 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $9,468 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $1,684,303 in compensation to service provider organisations, $193 per participant or 0.11% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $232 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $3,128,375. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi. The financial statements were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 14 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 04-2103580, plan 003, received 14 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.