Harvey Mudd College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Claremont, California. It enrolls 921 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
82/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes97
Value82
Affordability8
Selectivity98
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Harvey Mudd College admits 12.7% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
12.7%
Very Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1500 – 1570
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
34 – 36
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Harvey Mudd College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.6 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $35,924 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$68,613
Room & Board (on-campus)
$22,318
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,182
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,400
Total Cost of Attendance
$90,165
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$27,979
$30,001 – $48,000
$23,883
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,968
$75,001 – $110,000
$25,468
Over $110,000
$50,665
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$13,50025%percentile
$25,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$28,63090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $20,494
↓ $4,506
No Pell $19,500
↓ $5,500
Female students $18,221
↓ $6,779
Male students $23,890
↓ $1,110
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,008, less than completers ($25,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
97% come back after first year. Students who arrive tend to stay, which is usually a good sign. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
97%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $138,687 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$138,687
Earning > $25K
94%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$3.9 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 921 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
921
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
—
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 24.4%225
Hispanic 22.0%203
Asian 20.2%186
Other 12.4%114
International 11.0%101
Black 5.2%48
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Harvey Mudd College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Harvey Mudd College offers
a varied set of programs:
19 distinct programs across
13 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$557M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$132,756
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
107 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
47
44%
$161,783
Associate Professors
22
21%
$124,851
Assistant Professors
25
23%
$114,228
Instructors
13
12%
$82,654
Pros & Cons of Harvey Mudd College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Harvey Mudd College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Harvey Mudd College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students seeking a highly selective peer group; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Harvey Mudd College
The questions families ask most about Harvey Mudd College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Harvey Mudd College hard to get into?
Harvey Mudd College is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 12.7%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at Harvey Mudd College?
12.7% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Harvey Mudd College?
Aim for 1570 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1500 and 1570 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Harvey Mudd College?
Aim for 36 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 34 and 36 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Harvey Mudd College cost?
Budget around $35,924 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Harvey Mudd College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $138,687 a year against a net price of $35,924, about 3.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Harvey Mudd College known for?
Mostly Computer Science, General Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Harvey Mudd College graduates earn?
About $138,687 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Harvey Mudd College accredited?
Yes. Harvey Mudd College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Harvey Mudd College?
921 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Harvey Mudd College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Harvey Mudd College located?
Harvey Mudd College is located in Claremont, California.
What programs does Harvey Mudd College offer?
19 different programs, most commonly Computer Science, General Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Harvey Mudd College?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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