Address: 301 Platt Boulevard, 91711 Claremont, California, United States
Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics
Harvey Mudd College is a private undergraduate college in Claremont, California, and a member of The Claremont Colleges. It was chartered in 1955 and opened in 1957 with 48 students and seven faculty members. The college is named for Harvey Seeley Mudd, a mining engineer who helped to plan it but died in 1955, before it opened, and Joseph B. Platt served as its first president.
Students work toward a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in chemistry, mathematics, physics, computer science, biology and engineering, as well as joint and interdisciplinary combinations. All students take the Common Core Curriculum, usually in the first two years, which draws on computer science, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and writing.
About 900 undergraduates study at the college, and its academic departments include humanities, social sciences and the arts alongside the sciences. Its Clinic Program has student teams work on real problems posed by outside sponsors, including companies.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Robotics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, allowing students to cross-register at other liberal arts colleges. Focus on rigorous STEM education within a liberal arts context.
Research:
Strong emphasis on undergraduate research, with close faculty-student collaboration in areas like AI, robotics, materials science, and mathematical biology.
Famous Alumnis:
George Pinky” Nelson
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
200
Current students***:
900
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
8000
Pros
Exceptional STEM education within a liberal arts environment, very high faculty-to-student ratio, strong emphasis on undergraduate research, access to Claremont Colleges resources.
Cons
Extremely selective and demanding, high workload, private college cost, focus is almost entirely on STEM.
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Most Similar Schools Abroad
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*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Who was Harvey Mudd College named after?
It honours Harvey Seeley Mudd, a mining engineer who helped plan the college and died in 1955.
When did the college open?
It was chartered in 1955 and began classes in 1957, with 48 students and seven faculty members. Joseph B. Platt was the first president.
What is the relationship to the other Claremont schools?
Harvey Mudd belongs to The Claremont Colleges, a group of institutions sharing adjoining grounds and resources in Claremont, California.
Which subjects can students major in?
Majors are offered in chemistry, mathematics, physics, computer science, biology and engineering, plus joint and interdisciplinary options. Degrees awarded are Bachelor of Science degrees.
What is the Common Core Curriculum?
It is the shared programme taken by all students, usually in the first two years, covering computer science, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and writing. It gives every student a common scientific base before specialising.
How large is the college?
About 900 undergraduates are enrolled, and the college enrols only undergraduate students. Published counts were 905 in 2021 and 913 in 2025.
What is the Clinic Program?
It is a programme in which student teams work on real problems posed by outside sponsors, including companies, under the guidance of a sponsor liaison and a faculty advisor. Sponsors can also include national laboratories and startups.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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