Defined Benefit (Pension)
2022 plan-year Defined Benefit (Pension) DOL Form 5500

Harvard University Retirement Plan

ERISA Form 5500 plan record drawn from DOL EBSA — verify with linked source filings below.

Sponsored by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi · Massachusetts · Educational Services

What the 2023 filing shows

Harvard University Retirement Plan holds $1.5B for 2,837 participants — about $533,394 per participant, down 21.8% over the 2022 plan year.

$1.5B
total plan assets (2022 EOY)
2,837
covered participants
$533,394
avg assets per participant
-21.8%
assets change YoY

The plan reported a net loss of $423M for the year — a single-year figure driven by markets and benefit payments, not a measure of plan health.

Total Assets (2023)
$1.5B
Participants
2,837
Industry
Educational Services

What the Filing Says About Harvard University Retirement Plan

Harvard University Retirement Plan is a Defined Benefit (Pension) retirement plan sponsored by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi, headquartered in Massachusetts. As of the 2022 Form 5500 filing, the plan reports $1.5B in total end-of-year assets and covers 2,837 participants across the Educational Services industry. The sponsor's EIN on file with the U.S. Department of Labor is 042103580, and the plan has been effective since 1973-06-30. Its filing status is currently FILING RECEIVED.

Year over year, total assets moved from $1.9B at the beginning of 2022 to $1.5B at year-end — a decline of 21.8%. Net assets (after liabilities) closed the year at $1.5B, with reported net income of $-422,793,166 driven by investment returns, contributions received, and benefit payments during the period. These figures reflect what the plan administrator certified on Schedule H or Schedule I of the Form 5500 annual return and can be compared against 2 prior plan-year filings from the same sponsor shown below.

Asset totals and participant counts reflect a single plan year snapshot and can change materially with market conditions, plan mergers, or workforce changes. Fields such as "net income" include both realized investment performance and contribution/distribution flows — a single-year figure does not by itself indicate plan health or participant outcomes. This page summarizes public DOL disclosures for research and educational purposes only and is not retirement, tax, legal, or financial advice. Before making decisions about your own retirement benefits or evaluating an employer's plan, verify the underlying filing directly via the DOL EFAST2 system and consult a qualified professional.

Financial Summary (2023)

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)$1.9B
Total Assets (End of Year)$1.5B
Net Assets (End of Year)$1.5B
Net Income$-422,793,166
Plan TypeDefined Benefit (Pension)
Employer EIN042103580
Plan Effective Date1973-06-30
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi)

Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 4 39,221 $8.0B
2023 4 39,785 $9.3B
2024 4 44,472 $10.3B

Nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans in Massachusetts

Peer Defined Benefit (Pension) plans — same state, same plan type — ranked by total assets.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money is in the Harvard University Retirement Plan?
As of the 2022 Form 5500 filing, Harvard University Retirement Plan holds $1.5B in total assets with 2,837 participants. It is sponsored by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi.
What type of plan is Harvard University Retirement Plan?
Harvard University Retirement Plan is a Defined Benefit (Pension) plan. It has been effective since 1973-06-30. The plan is filed with the U.S. Department of Labor under EIN 042103580.
Who sponsors the Harvard University Retirement Plan?
Harvard University Retirement Plan is sponsored by President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi, located in Massachusetts. The sponsor's EIN is 042103580 and the plan operates in the Educational Services industry.
How did Harvard University Retirement Plan perform in 2022?
Harvard University Retirement Plan declined by 21.8% during 2022, moving from $1.9B to $1.5B in total assets. Net income was $-422,793,166.
Where can I find official filings for Harvard University Retirement Plan?
Official Form 5500 filings for Harvard University Retirement Plan are available through the U.S. Department of Labor's EFAST2 system. Search by EIN 042103580 or plan name at efast.dol.gov.
How does Harvard University Retirement Plan compare to other plans?
You can compare Harvard University Retirement Plan against other Defined Benefit (Pension) plans on the plan type page, or view plans in Massachusetts on the state page. PlainRetire tracks the 5,000 largest retirement plans in the U.S. by total assets.

Explore PlainRetire

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Form 5500 public disclosure dataset. Plan year 2022.

Source: DOL EFAST2 filing system (efast.dol.gov) — original filing retrieval by EIN 042103580.

Reference: IRS Publication 560 — Retirement Plans for Small Business, contribution-limit rules.

Reference: IRS Publication 590-B — Distributions from IRAs, RMD rules under SECURE Act 2.0.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings (EBSA). See our methodology for details.