Tuition at Harvard has risen by 3.2% a year on average since 1977, which means that the cost of an education could be as high as 167,000 USD in 2022.
However, some argue that it's not just about the tuition price. It's about how much students will make during their lifetime which is not as much compared to past years and how long it takes to pay off student loans.
Less than 2% of Harvard students in the Class of 2020 came from families with incomes below 65,000 USD per year while over half (51 percent) come from families with incomes above 120,000 USD per year and 34% come from families making over 500,000 USD a year.
In conclusion: "Can middle class afford Harvard?" It's possible but not probable.