Harvey Mudd: the complete school report for parents
Harvey Mudd puts the most weight on course rigor, GPA and recommendations. A second tier of the essay, extracurricular activities and personal qualities carries real weight too. It does not consider legacy and demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. Harvey Mudd admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, and scores are optional but help when they are strong. In the most recent cycle 439 students accepted a place on the waiting list and none were admitted from it.
Harvey Mudd is officially Harvey Mudd College, also known as Mudd, HMC. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Harvey Mudd a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Harvey Mudd against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Harvey Mudd actually weigh in admissions?
Harvey Mudd rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, recommendations. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Harvey Mudd's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Harvey Mudd rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Very Important |
| personal qualities | Important |
| talent | Considered |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Harvey Mudd consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Harvey Mudd consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Harvey Mudd consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider the application essay?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Harvey Mudd consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider a special talent or ability?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider demonstrated interest?
No. Harvey Mudd does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Harvey Mudd consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider legacy status?
No. Harvey Mudd does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Harvey Mudd consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Harvey Mudd consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Harvey Mudd consider religious affiliation?
No. Harvey Mudd does not consider it.
What is the Harvey Mudd waitlist really like?
Harvey Mudd offered a place on its waiting list to 685 applicants and 439 accepted one. None of them were admitted. A waitlist place here should be treated as a decline, not as a live option to hold out for.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Harvey Mudd admitted 2.9% of 136 transfer applicants, against 12.3% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 18.4% of ED applicants were admitted against 12.3% overall, a gap of 6 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.
| Regular application deadline | January 5 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | April 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 15 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 5 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $70 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Harvey Mudd actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $35,924 a year at Harvey Mudd after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $75,669. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 27 merit awards averaging $11,875 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
44% of Harvey Mudd graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $30,350 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $265 a month in repayment. Harvey Mudd’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Harvey Mudd pay off?
Graduates earn a median $138,687 ten years after entering, and $115,107 at six years. 94% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Will my child actually graduate?
95% of first-years return for a second year. 83% graduate within four years and 93% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 87.1% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 94.0% of everyone else, a gap of 6.9 points.
How big are the classes?
60% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 2% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 8:1, and 93% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
What is life at Harvey Mudd like?
913 undergraduates, 52% of first-years from out of state. 99% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 97% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women a sorority, and the median family income is $82,806.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Treat a waitlist place here as a decline: 439 students waited and none were admitted.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Harvey Mudd
Does the Harvey Mudd waitlist move?
439 students accepted a place on the Harvey Mudd waiting list and none were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Harvey Mudd graduates earn?
Harvey Mudd graduates earn a median $138,687 ten years after entering, and 94% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Harvey Mudd
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Harvey Mudd’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.