Admission & test scores

Harvey Mudd College SAT scores and acceptance rate

Admitted students scored 1500–1570 on the SAT, with an ACT midpoint of 35. Harvey Mudd College admits 13% of applicants — highly selective. 96% of first-year students return for a second year.

SAT range1500–1570middle half of admits
ACT midpoint35admitted students
Acceptance rate13%highly selective
First-year retention96%return for year two

Reading the score band These are the scores admitted students had — not a cut-off.

25th percentile
1500
Average
1545
75th percentile
1570

A quarter of admitted students scored below 1500 and a quarter above 1570. Being under the lower figure does not rule you out — it means the rest of the application has to carry more weight — and being above the upper one does not secure a place at a selective university. This intake sits inside a student body of about 921.

Universities with similar scores Useful for building a realistic application list.

UniversityAvg SATACTAcceptanceIn-state tuition
Brown University Providence, Rhode Island 1546 34 5% $71,412
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1546 34 12% $66,246
Duke University Durham, North Carolina 1548 34 6% $68,758
Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee 1549 35 6% $67,498
Stanford University Stanford, California 1553 35 4% $65,910
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland 1553 — 6% $65,230

Getting in is the first question, not the last

Admission data says nothing about what the degree costs or returns. Before accepting an offer, read the net price for your family's income and the earnings of previous graduates — a place at a selective university financed with heavy borrowing can be a worse outcome than a place at a less selective one that costs little.

Harvey Mudd College admission: common questions

What SAT score do you need for Harvey Mudd College?
The middle half of admitted students scored between 1500 and 1570 on the SAT, with an average of 1545. A score inside that band is competitive; below it you would be relying on the rest of the application.
What ACT score does Harvey Mudd College require?
The ACT midpoint of admitted students is 35.
How hard is it to get into Harvey Mudd College?
Harvey Mudd College admits 13% of applicants, which is highly selective. Of those who enrol, 96% return for a second year.
Does Harvey Mudd College require SAT or ACT scores?
This page reports what admitted students scored, not what the university requires. Many US universities went test-optional and have not returned to a requirement — always check the admissions page before deciding to skip a test.
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Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — SAT/ACT scores of admitted students, acceptance rate and first-year retention as most recently published. Scores describe past intakes and are not an entry requirement.