Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College is a small private school in Claremont, California, devoted entirely to science, engineering, and mathematics within a liberal-arts setting — one of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges. With only about 913 undergraduates and an 8-to-1 student-faculty ratio, it is among the most selective STEM colleges in the country, admitting roughly 12% of applicants and enrolling first-years with middle-50% SAT scores of 1500–1560. Engineering, interdisciplinary studies, and computer science together account for the majority of degrees, and a signature core curriculum grounds every student in the full breadth of the sciences before they specialize. Harvey Mudd is test-optional and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need, with a typical need-based first-year package near $64,900.
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Harvey Mudd admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Harvey Mudd offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~1.6× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Harvey Mudd is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Harvey Mudd's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 18% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Harvey Mudd does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Harvey Mudd weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Harvey Mudd's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Harvey Mudd admissions
How hard is it to get into Harvey Mudd?＋
Very hard. Harvey Mudd admitted about 12.3% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 643 of more than 5,200 applicants and enrolling about 236 first-year students. As a college devoted entirely to STEM with only about 913 undergraduates, it draws an academically extreme pool, and rigor of high school record, academic GPA, and recommendations are all weighed as very important factors.
What GPA and class rank do you need to get into Harvey Mudd?＋
Harvey Mudd does not publish an average high school GPA, but its entering class sits at the very top academically. Among the 18% of first-years who reported a class rank, 95% were in the top tenth of their graduating class and 100% were in the top quarter. There is no published cutoff, but rigor of course load and academic GPA — especially in math and science — are both weighed as very important factors.
Is Harvey Mudd test-optional, and what SAT or ACT score do you need?＋
Yes, Harvey Mudd is test-optional, so you can apply without submitting scores; standardized test scores are only 'considered' in the review. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored between 1500 and 1560 on the SAT and 35–36 on the ACT — nearly all enrolled scorers landed in the 1400–1600 SAT and 30–36 ACT bands.
How much does Harvey Mudd cost, and does it meet full financial need?＋
Annual tuition and required fees run about $73,070, with on-campus food and housing adding roughly $23,434 to the total cost of attendance. Harvey Mudd meets 100% of demonstrated financial need: about 43% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, and the average need-based package is near $64,941.
What is the difference between Harvey Mudd's Early Decision 1 and Early Decision 2?＋
Both are binding plans — if admitted, you commit to enroll — and the difference is timing: ED I closes November 15 and ED II closes January 5. Harvey Mudd does not offer Early Action. For the prior entering class, the early round drew 594 applications and admitted 109 students.
What are the most popular majors at Harvey Mudd?＋
Engineering is the single most popular field at about 29% of bachelor's degrees, followed by interdisciplinary studies (27%) and computer and information sciences (18%). The physical sciences (15%), biological sciences, and mathematics round out a curriculum that is entirely focused on STEM, with a core sequence grounding every student across the sciences before they specialize.
How big is Harvey Mudd, and what is the student-to-faculty ratio?＋
Harvey Mudd is intentionally small: about 913 undergraduates with an 8-to-1 student-faculty ratio. Roughly 99% of students live on campus, the first-year retention rate is about 95%, and the six-year graduation rate is about 93%.
How important are recommendation letters at Harvey Mudd?＋
They carry real weight. Harvey Mudd rates recommendations as a very important factor — on the same tier as rigor of high school record and academic GPA, and above the application essay and extracurricular activities, which are 'important.' Standardized test scores, by contrast, are only 'considered.'
Source: Harvey Mudd College Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Harvey Mudd. Banner photo by Hmc5555, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).