Harvey Mudd College
#2 Colleges With the Highest-Earning Graduates- Graduation Rate
- 93% A+
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $138,687 A+
- Top 1% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $35,924 F
- 110% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 13% A+
- Rejects about 87 of every 100 applicants
Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 24.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $24.3 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Colleges With the Highest-Earning Graduates.
Every $1 spent returns $24.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $3,349,456.
What The Data Says
-
A B overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 240% more than the national college median.
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A 93% graduation rate — 62% above the national average.
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Inventor rate in the top 2% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.
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Social mobility rate of 2.92% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 12.0%
- Top 2%
- Patents
- 190
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 180
- Downstream influence
Why Harvey Mudd College Matters
Harvey Mudd College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 1% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 921
- Setting
- Suburban
- Primary Strengths
- Engineering, Computer Science & IT, Physical Sciences, Biology & Biomedical
Why students choose Harvey Mudd College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Highly selective — admits about 13% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1500–1570. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $35,924 a year after grants and scholarships — 110% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $138,687 ten years after enrolling — 240% above the typical college, against $25,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 11% nationally for mobility.
See mobility →Overview
Harvey Mudd College stands out with a graduation rate of 93%. This exceptional statistic indicates a strong commitment to student success and support. Students here can expect an educational environment that promotes completion and achievement.
The earnings potential for graduates is impressive, with a median income of $138,687 ten years after graduation. This signals strong career outcomes, especially for those entering fields like engineering and computer science. While specific mobility rates are not available, the data suggests that students from various backgrounds can find opportunities for advancement.
Attending Harvey Mudd comes with a net price of $35,924 and a median debt of $25,000. This financial landscape makes it essential for students to consider their return on investment. Those who thrive here are often driven, with a passion for STEM fields, and benefit from a rigorous academic environment that aligns with their career aspirations.
Rankings
- #2 Colleges With the Highest-Earning Graduates
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Computer Science
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Engineering
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Physical Sciences
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Data Science
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Cybersecurity
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Information Technology
- #3 Highest-Paying Colleges for Environmental Science
Can I Get In?
How selective Harvey Mudd College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Harvey Mudd College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a private institution in Claremont, California, Harvey Mudd College sets a competitive bar: about 13% of applicants get an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,545. The graduation rate is roughly 93%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 13%
- Retention Rate
- 96%
- SAT Average
- 1545
- ACT Midpoint
- 35
- SAT Range
- 1500–1570
- ACT Range
- 34–36
- Full-Time Faculty
- 93%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $15,352
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 8:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.82
- Applicants
- 4,440
- Admitted
- 593
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Harvey Mudd College is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 37% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school many admits weigh against other offers.
- Yield Rate
- 37%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 55%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 21%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Early Decision Admit Rate
- 18.4%
- vs 12.3% overall
Applying early pays off here. Of 594 Early Decision applicants, 109 were admitted — a 18.4% admit rate, roughly 1.5× the 12.3% rate for the overall pool. That binding round alone filled about 46% of the entering class (109 of 236 first-years). The catch: Early Decision is a commitment you make before you can compare aid offers.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Harvey Mudd College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Harvey Mudd College is $68,613, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $35,924. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $27,979 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $68,613
- Out-of-State
- $68,613
- Avg Net Price
- $35,924
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 15%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 33%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $27,979
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $23,883
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $17,968
- Family Income $110K+
- $50,665
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Harvey Mudd College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Harvey Mudd College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Harvey Mudd College earn a median of $138,687, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $115,107
- 8 Years
- $144,598
- 10 Years
- $138,687
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.18x
- Earning > $25K
- 86%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (162)
- 84%
- 100% (162)
- 84%
- 100% (162)
- 84%
- 100% (162)
- 84%
How Harvey Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Harvey Mudd College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Harvey Mudd College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $35,924/year ($143,696 total). Graduates earn $138,687 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $3,493,152 in total earnings — a net gain of $3,349,456 (24.3× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 93% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $143,696
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $3,493,152
- Net Return
- $3,349,456
- ROI Multiple
- 24.3×
- Cost Per Year
- $35,924
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 93%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Harvey Mudd College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Harvey Mudd College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.92%, among the highest in the country. Access is narrower: only about 3.9% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 74.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $139,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.92%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 74.4%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 3.9%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $189,939
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Harvey Mudd College produces inventors at an exceptional rate — the top 2% of U.S. colleges, with 190 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 12.01%
- Top 2% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 190
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 180
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 4.55%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $2,855,405
- Investment Income
- $-29,239,445
Top Programs
The fields Harvey Mudd College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Engineering 29% $97,428 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 24% $169,414 early-career
- Physical Sciences 12%
- Biology & Biomedical 6%
- Mathematics & Statistics 4%
- English & Literature 0%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Harvey Mudd College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Harvey Mudd College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a private institution in Claremont, California, Harvey Mudd College sets a competitive bar: about 13% of applicants get an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,545. The graduation rate is roughly 93%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Harvey Mudd College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Harvey Mudd College is $68,613, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $35,924. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $27,979 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.
Is Harvey Mudd College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Harvey Mudd College earn a median of $138,687, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Harvey Mudd College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Harvey Mudd College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.92%, among the highest in the country. Access is narrower: only about 3.9% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 74.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $139,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
Does Harvey Mudd College offer Early Decision, and does it improve admission chances?
Yes. Harvey Mudd College offers a binding Early Decision plan, and it carries a real advantage: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 18%, about 1.5 times the overall 12% acceptance rate, and ED filled roughly 46% of the entering class. Because ED is binding, it makes sense only if Harvey Mudd College is a clear first choice and you can commit before comparing aid offers (2025-26 Common Data Set).
Is Harvey Mudd College really test-optional?
Harvey Mudd College reports test-optional admission, but most enrolled students still submit scores: about 76% of first-year students sent an SAT or ACT (2025-26 Common Data Set). Submitting strong scores is the norm here.
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Harvey Mudd College?
About 37% of admitted students choose to enroll at Harvey Mudd College — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
Compare Harvey Mudd College
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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Harvey Mudd College.
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