Harvey Mudd Ranked No. 1 Engineering Program in U.S.

Harvey Mudd College was named No. 1 among the nation’s undergraduate engineering programs in U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 Best Colleges rankings, released Sept. 9, 2014. Harvey Mudd shares the top spot for undergraduate engineering with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Harvey Mudd’s broad yet deep engineering program received special recognition in the “Best in the Specialties” listings, ranking fourth in each of the three categories of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer engineering, and fifth in civil engineering. Harvey Mudd’s engineering curriculum includes an unusually strong emphasis on experiential, hands-on learning and team-based projects with contemporary applications.

Harvey Mudd came in at No. 5 on the High School Counselors’ Top College Picks, sharing the fifth slot with Amherst, Vassar and Wellesley colleges. All five of the undergraduate Claremont Colleges ranked in the Top 20 of the High School Counselors’ ratings.

In the overall ranking for national liberal arts colleges, Harvey Mudd tied with three other colleges for the No. 15 spot, moving up one slot from last year’s No. 16 ranking. Harvey Mudd was the most selective liberal arts college among the schools rated, had the highest SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile scores and the highest percentage of first years who ranked in the top 10 percent in their high school class (97 percent). Harvey Mudd was also one of only three liberal arts colleges to have the highest average first-year retention rate at 98 percent.

Harvey Mudd’s commitment to increasing diversity at all levels, one of six priorities outlined in the College’s strategic vision, was recognized in the rankings: Mudd made the Ethnic Diversity listing of the top 21 liberal arts schools with a large percentage of students from minority groups.

U.S. News and World Report’s rankings are based on a selection of indicators of quality, including: graduation and retention rates (22.5 percent); assessment of excellence (22.5 percent); faculty resources (20 percent); student selectivity (12.5 percent); financial resources (10 percent); graduation rate performance (7.5 percent); and alumni giving (5 percent).

For the second year in a row, Harvey Mudd graduates on average earn the highest mid-career salaries of all U.S. college and university graduates, according to PayScale’s 2015 College Salary Report, released Sept.10. Harvey Mudd ranked No. 1 with a median mid-career salary of $133,800 for those whose final degree was a bachelors, and $137,800 for all alumni, including those who pursued a graduate degree at any institution.

PayScale, an online salary information company, issues a separate report annually for college return on investment. PayScale’s 2014 College ROI Report, published in March 2014, ranked HMC at No. 1 for investment value, followed by CalTech, MIT, and Stanford. Harvey Mudd topped PayScale’s 2014 ROI list for the third year in a row.