Harvey Mudd College [HMC]: Ranking, Courses, Fees, Admission & Scholarships

Popular Courses and Fees at Harvey Mudd College 2027

Harvey Mudd College is exclusively undergraduate and awards only the Bachelor of Science degree across all 10 majors. All majors are four years long, taught entirely in English, and priced at a single institutional tuition rate of USD 66,748 per year in 2026-27, published to rise for the 2027-28 cohort.

Harvey Mudd College Undergraduate Programs

The table below lists the five most popular Harvey Mudd majors by declared enrolment. Total fees reflect four years of tuition at the 2026-27 rate; Room, board and mandatory fees are covered separately under the Cost of Living section.

Note on postgraduate programmes: Harvey Mudd College does not award master’s or PhD degrees. Indian students seeking graduate STEM options in the Claremont area typically apply to Claremont Graduate University or peer research universities.

Insider note: Indian applicants disproportionately declare Engineering, Computer Science, and the joint Computer Science and Mathematics major, which together account for over half of Harvey Mudd bachelor’s degrees conferred each spring.

Read More: Harvey Mudd Fees and Cost of Living Guide

Harvey Mudd College Admission 2027

Harvey Mudd College admits first-year undergraduates for Fall (August) entry only through the Common Application, with no separate international portal. Transfer applications close each March for the following Fall.

Planning note: Indian applicants applying for institutional financial aid must complete the CSS Profile at the same deadline as the admission application; missing the CSS date can push financial aid review into the following cycle at Harvey Mudd College.

Read More: Harvey Mudd College Admissions Guide for Indian Students

Harvey Mudd College Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Harvey Mudd College evaluates Indian applicants on Class 12 board results, a strong quantitative record, English proficiency, and demonstrated interest in STEM problem-solving.

• Academic: Class 12 with 85% to 95% (recommended) from CBSE, ISC, or state board; predicted results accepted for Class 12 applicants
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 100 or IELTS Academic 7.0 or Duolingo English Test 120 (verify at hmc.edu/admission) for applicants whose medium of instruction is not English
• Standardised tests: Harvey Mudd College is test-optional for SAT and ACT through the Fall 2027 cycle; strong SAT Mathematics or ACT Math scores are recommended when submitted
• Supplemental: Two teacher recommendations (one in Mathematics or Science), one counsellor letter, and Harvey Mudd College-specific short-answer essays

Key insight: Indian applicants coming from CBSE Science stream should highlight Class 11 and 12 Mathematics scores in their profile summary, since Harvey Mudd College weights quantitative preparation heavily in its holistic review of first-year applicants.

Harvey Mudd College Acceptance Rate 2027

Harvey Mudd College reports an overall first-year acceptance rate of 13% (estimated) for the most recent admitted class, making it one of the most selective STEM-focused liberal arts colleges in the United States.

International acceptance rates typically run lower than the overall rate at Harvey Mudd College, since financial aid seats for non-US applicants are budget-capped. Indian applicants should treat the reach threshold as tighter than the headline figure suggests.

Reality check: The Early Decision I round at Harvey Mudd College historically admits at roughly double the overall rate, but the binding commitment removes the ability to compare aid offers across US colleges after admission.

Read More: Harvey Mudd College Acceptance Rate

Harvey Mudd College Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

The total annual cost of attendance at Harvey Mudd College for the 2026-27 cycle runs to approximately USD 89,000 (INR 84.1 lakh), combining tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees.

Harvey Mudd College Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2027

Harvey Mudd College uses a single tuition rate that applies to all undergraduate majors, with modest annual increases published each March. There is no separate international tuition rate.

Monthly Cost of Living in Claremont for Indian Students

Most Harvey Mudd College undergraduates live on campus for all four years, so the room and board figure above covers housing and dining. Off-campus estimates below reflect senior-year apartments in Claremont or Pomona.

Insider note: Indian students planning off-campus senior housing should factor in Los Angeles County vehicle costs, since Claremont sits about 55 kilometres east of downtown LA and public transit into the city is limited.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students

Harvey Mudd College Campus, Facilities and Student Life

Harvey Mudd College sits on a compact 33-acre campus in Claremont, California, one of five undergraduate Claremont Colleges that share dining, library and cross-registration privileges.

• Location and transit: Claremont is 55 kilometres east of Los Angeles; Metrolink commuter rail connects to LA Union Station in 65 minutes
• Housing: On-campus residence is guaranteed for all four years, and roughly 99% of undergraduates live in one of nine dorms
• Consortium access: Students can take up to a third of their coursework at Pomona, Scripps, Claremont McKenna, or Pitzer at no extra charge
• Indian community: The South Asian Society at the Claremont Colleges hosts Diwali, Holi and cricket events for undergraduates across all five campuses

What Indian students say: Undergraduates highlight the tight-knit STEM cohort, the Core Curriculum bonding across majors, and easy access to Los Angeles internships as three reasons Harvey Mudd College feels smaller and more connected than a research-heavy university.

Harvey Mudd College Scholarships 2027

Harvey Mudd College offers need-based financial aid to a limited number of admitted international undergraduates each year and does not offer merit scholarships to non-US applicants.

Planning note: Harvey Mudd College is not need-blind for international applicants, so requesting a large Harvey Mudd Grant can reduce the odds of admission for Indian students on the margin; the trade-off is worth modelling before selecting a round.

Read More: Harvey Mudd College Scholarships Guide

Harvey Mudd College Rankings 2027

Harvey Mudd College is ranked #1 in US News Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at institutions that do not offer a doctorate, a position it has held for more than a decade.

Harvey Mudd College does not participate in QS World or THE World rankings because it awards only bachelor’s degrees and does not generate the research volume those methodologies require. Its US News undergraduate engineering rank remains the industry benchmark for tech recruiters.

Key insight: The US News #1 ranking for undergraduate engineering (non-doctorate) programmes at Harvey Mudd College is what drives Silicon Valley and quantitative finance recruiters to visit each spring, and it is the credential Indian graduates should lead with on their resume.

Read More: Harvey Mudd College Rankings Analysis

Harvey Mudd College Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

Harvey Mudd College reports strong first-destination outcomes six months after graduation, driven by its STEM concentration and Silicon Valley recruiter access.

• Placement rate: 96% of Class of 2024 graduates reported employed or in graduate study within six months (estimated)
• Median starting salary: USD 105,000 (INR 99.2 lakh) for Class of 2024, labelled as college-reported first-destination median
• Top recruiter sectors: Software engineering, quantitative finance, aerospace engineering, and semiconductor design
• Representative employers: Google, Microsoft, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and Two Sigma have hired Harvey Mudd College graduates in recent years
• Career support: The Office of Career Services runs recruiter days each October and February, with STEM-specific interview coaching for international students on OPT

Indian graduates of Harvey Mudd College typically use their 12-month OPT to secure a first role in California or Washington state, then apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension since all Harvey Mudd majors qualify as STEM under the US Department of Homeland Security list.

Insider note: Indian graduates aiming at quantitative finance in New York routinely convert Harvey Mudd College mathematics and computer science majors into offers from Jane Street, Citadel and Two Sigma, but should recruit from sophomore summer onwards to secure interview slots.

Harvey Mudd College vs Peer Universities

Indian applicants comparing Harvey Mudd College typically weigh it against other small STEM-focused undergraduate institutions in the United States plus its Claremont neighbour Pomona College.

Harvey Mudd College stands out as the only school on this list that is both a small liberal arts college and the top-ranked undergraduate engineering programme. That combination gives Indian graduates a distinctive positioning in Silicon Valley recruiting pipelines against larger doctoral research universities.

Harvey Mudd College fits Indian students who want a top-ranked undergraduate STEM programme with residential college intimacy, and who can absorb an all-in cost of roughly INR 84.2 lakh per year against a first-destination median salary of INR 99.2 lakh. The F-1 student visa pathway with STEM OPT is the single strongest advantage over UK or Canadian STEM peers.

Harvey Mudd College is not the right fit for Indian applicants who need merit scholarships, want graduate degrees on the same campus, or prefer a large research university with dozens of majors. Those students should look at Georgia Institute of Technology as a realistic alternative.