Explore alternatives based on outcomes, location, cost, and admission difficulty
Given Harvey Mudd College's 13.1% acceptance rate and specialized STEM focus, most applicants face significant admission uncertainty. The alternatives below offer comparable career outcomes with different admission profiles, geographic options, or cost structures.
These schools offer higher acceptance rates while delivering comparable career outcomes.
For similar STEM outcomes with more accessible admission, consider University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (75.1% acceptance, $137,047 median earnings) or Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (59.1% acceptance, $131,426 earnings). Both institutions deliver comparable post-graduation earnings with significantly higher acceptance rates, though they focus more narrowly on health sciences rather than Harvey Mudd's broader STEM curriculum.
Higher acceptance rate (62.1 percentage points higher); similar graduate earnings
Strong options in the same region with comparable academic profiles.
Students who prefer to stay in California should consider California Institute of Technology (3.1% acceptance, $128,566 earnings) just 24 miles away for similar STEM excellence, though with even more competitive admission. Stanford University (3.9% acceptance, $124,080 earnings) offers broader academic programs 339 miles north with comparable selectivity and strong outcomes across multiple fields including STEM.
Schools with comparable admission profiles — useful for building a balanced list.
Other highly selective STEM-focused options include Claremont McKenna College (11.1% acceptance, $104,736 earnings) located on the same campus consortium, offering similar admission selectivity with broader liberal arts focus. University of Southern California (10.0% acceptance, $92,498 earnings) provides selective admission with comprehensive research university resources 33 miles away.
Elite universities with similar prestige and academic caliber
