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Cal Poly Stanford Pomona Claremont McKenna MIT Yale USC Carnegie Mellon UCLA UC Berkeley Rice Princeton| Harvey Mudd College | California Institute of Technology | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
HMC | Caltech | ||
| Location | Claremont, CA | Pasadena, CA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 949 | 2,463 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #6 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | hmc.edu | caltech.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
HMC | Caltech | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $65,954 | $60,816 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $65,954 | $60,816 | ||
| Room & Board | $21,710 | $19,503 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $42,720 | $23,397 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $42,070 | $60,201 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 68% | 55% |
Admission |
HMC | Caltech | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 4,792 | 13,107 | ||
| Admitted | 626 | 412 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 13.1% | 3.1% | ||
| Enrolled % | 35.8% | 64.6% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.96 | 3.97 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 34/36 | 35/36 | ||
| SAT Range | 1480/1560 | 1530/1580 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 5, 2026 | Jan 3, 2026 |
Academics |
HMC | Caltech | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 8:1 | 3:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
HMC | Caltech | ||
| Graduation Rate | 84% | 87% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $84,900 | $85,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | - | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $25,540 | $14,350 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $264 | $148 |
Diversity |
HMC | Caltech | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 3% | 38% | ||
| % Women | 1% | 21% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 38% | 27% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 2% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 12% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 8% | 5% | ||
| % International | 13% | 8% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 0% |
Students |
HMC | Caltech | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 43% | 30% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 43% | 51% | ||
Campus |
HMC | Caltech | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California Institute of Technology is larger than than HMC based on total student enrollment (2,463 students vs. 949 students)
HMC vs. Caltech Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, HMC or Caltech?
- Harvey Mudd College is 8.4% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($65,954.00 vs. $60,816.00)
- Out of state tuition is 8.4% higher at HMC than California Institute of Technology ($65,954.00 vs. $60,816.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than HMC ($23,397 vs. $42,720)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Institute of Technology are 11.3% lower than costs at Harvey Mudd College ($19,503 vs. $21,710)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Harvey Mudd College than California Institute of Technology (68% vs. 55%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 43.1% larger than aid received Harvey Mudd College ($60,201 vs. $42,070)
HMC vs. Caltech Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, HMC or Caltech? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Caltech or HMC .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 60 points higher than at HMC (1484)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at HMC (34)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at HMC (3.96)
- HMC has a higher acceptance rate (13.1%) than Caltech (3.1%)
HMC vs. Caltech Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, HMC or Caltech? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Caltech and HMC.
- The graduation rate at Caltech is higher than Harvey Mudd College (87% vs. 84%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $900 more per year than HMC graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $84,900)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $11,190 lower median federal student loan debt than HMC graduates. ($14,350 vs. $25,540)
- Caltech graduates are paying $116 less per month on federal student loans than HMC graduates. ($148 vs. $264)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/