Harvey Mudd College

Harvey Mudd College's published cost of attendance is $90,165, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $27,979 per year in net price, middle-income families pay around $17,968, and higher-income families pay approximately $50,665.

Azimuth ranks Harvey Mudd College #1301 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each group pay more and some less than the figures shown.

The gap between sticker price and what families actually pay reflects how [net price and published cost can differ substantially](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/). Harvey Mudd College participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, with families applying through the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

The college's need-based aid structure is designed to close the gap between published cost and what families can reasonably contribute, and the net price figures above reflect that commitment in practice. Families weighing affordability should compare the net price figures — not the sticker price — against earnings outcomes when assessing long-run value.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $33,386; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $137,100, median federal debt of $25,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $282 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Harvey Mudd College earn median earnings of $137,100 four years after enrollment, placing Harvey Mudd College in the 99.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Azimuth ranks Harvey Mudd College #14 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The strength of these outcomes reflects a curriculum anchored in STEM and quantitative reasoning — fields where employer demand and starting compensation remain consistently high across labor markets.

The degree mix at Harvey Mudd College is unusually concentrated. Engineering accounts for 21% of degrees, followed by other STEM fields at 12% and Social Sciences at 1%.

Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it the program that contributes most to the institution's aggregate return profile. Azimuth ranks Engineering #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 51 graduates earning median earnings of $122,845 — 1.4x the national benchmark for the field.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #17 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 49 graduates earning median earnings of $198,257 — 1.9x the national benchmark. Other programs such as Physics and Mathematics round out the portfolio, reinforcing the pattern of quantitative depth that corresponds to Harvey Mudd College's position near the top of the return distribution.

Harvey Mudd College's program mix is anchored in Interdisciplinary Studies, reflecting the college's distinctive approach to undergraduate education — a curriculum that blends science, engineering, mathematics, and humanities rather than siloing students into narrow disciplinary tracks. Engineering accounts for 21% of graduates, with other STEM fields at 12% and Social Sciences at 1%.

The largest program by cohort is Mathematics and Computer Science (55 graduates), followed by Engineering (51 graduates), Computer Science (49 graduates), Physics (20 graduates), and Mathematics (18 graduates). Across 10 programs serving roughly 231 students annually, 2 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold.

The earnings pattern is striking at the top. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #17 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 49 graduates earning $198,257.

Azimuth ranks Engineering #2 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 51 graduates earning $122,845. Azimuth ranks Engineering #2 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $122,845, and Azimuth ranks Computer Science #17 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $198,257.

These rankings are notable given the college's small cohort sizes — strong national positions achieved with focused, rather than scaled, degree output. Harvey Mudd College's program structure means that many graduates carry quantitative and engineering fluency regardless of declared major, which helps explain why even interdisciplinary and science-general pathways produce strong four-year earnings.

Computer Science and Engineering are high-mobility programs where graduates enter the national labor market directly in technology, finance, and consulting roles. Physics and Mathematics graduates often follow grad-school-dependent pathways — medical school, doctoral programs, or research positions — where four-year earnings undercount the full trajectory.

The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how Harvey Mudd College's dominant program families align with national wage trends, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates programs across cohort size, earnings, and benchmark performance. ```