Harvey Mudd Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 Admissions Statistics

Harvey Mudd admitted just 643 students from a pool of 5,217 applicants for the Class of 2029, a 12.33% acceptance rate that reflects how sharply demand has grown for one of the country’s most specialized STEM programs.

For the Class of 2030, Early Decision I notifications went out in December 2025, while ED II were released mid-February 2026, with Regular Decision results following in late March 2026. However, specific statistics have not yet been released.

In this blog, we’ll walk through Harvey Mudd’s latest available overall, early, regular, waitlist, and transfer acceptance rates and see how they’ve changed over time.

• Harvey Mudd Acceptance Rates
• Harvey Mudd Early Decision Acceptance Rate
• Harvey Mudd Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
• Harvey Mudd Transfer Acceptance Rate
• Harvey Mudd Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Harvey Mudd Acceptance Rates

Harvey Mudd’s overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was 12.33%, a slight decrease from the 12.66% recorded for the Class of 2028. This dip reflects a modest increase in applications, up from 5,094 to 5,217, while the number of admitted students ticked down slightly from 645 to 643.

Harvey Mudd’s acceptance rate has generally trended downward over the past decade, falling from 15.42% for the Class of 2021 to the low double digits in recent years, with a notable dip to 9.99% for the Class of 2025. Here’s the complete picture:

Note: All data has been compiled from Harvey Mudd’s Common Data Set.

Applications have grown roughly 28% from 3,397 for the Class of 2024 to 5,217 for the Class of 2029, reflecting the college’s rising national profile. The Class of 2024 stands out as an outlier with the lowest applicant pool in this dataset but a comparatively high admit rate of 17.96%, suggesting an unusually small applicant pool that year.

Meanwhile, the number of admitted students ranges from 473 to 645 across all years. The sharpest contradiction came with the Class of 2025, where admits dropped to just 473 despite a large applicant pool of 4,737, pushing the acceptance rate to a record low of 9.99%. The subsequent recovery to the 12–13% range for Classes of 2027 through 2029 reflects both a growing applicant pool and a modest increase in admitted students.

Harvey Mudd Early Decision Acceptance Rate

The most recently released Early Decision figures are from the Class of 2029, when Harvey Mudd received 594 early applications and admitted 109 students for an acceptance rate of 18.35%, up from 16.16% for the Class of 2028.

Harvey Mudd has not yet released its Early Decision statistics for the Class of 2030.

Harvey Mudd Early Decision acceptance rate trends

Harvey Mudd’s ED acceptance rates have fluctuated over the past decade, climbing from 16.07% for the Class of 2021 to a peak of 22.68% for the Class of 2024, before declining to 16.16% for the Class of 2028, and then recovering to 18.35% for the Class of 2029. Here’s a breakdown:

Note: All data has been sourced from Harvey Mudd’s official Common Data Sets.

ED applications have risen from 410 for the Class of 2024 to 656 for the Class of 2028, a 60% increase, before pulling back slightly to 594 for the Class of 2029. Admits have climbed alongside applications, from a low of 81 for the Class of 2021 to a high of 109 for the Class of 2029. Despite the growing applicant pool, acceptance rates have compressed from a peak of 22.68% for the Class of 2024 down to 16.16% for the Class of 2028, with a partial rebound to 18.35% for the Class of 2029.

Still, ED applicants have historically fared considerably better than those applying in the regular round, with early acceptance rates running roughly 4–8 percentage points above the overall rate in most years.

Harvey Mudd Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

For students applying in the regular round, Harvey Mudd’s Class of 2029 saw 4,623 RD applications result in 534 offers of admission, an 11.55% acceptance rate.

Harvey Mudd has not yet released its Regular Decision statistics for the Class of 2030.

Harvey Mudd Regular Decision acceptance rate trends

Harvey Mudd’s RD acceptance rates have generally trended downward over the past decade, falling from 15.33% for the Class of 2021 to the low double digits in recent years, with a sharp dip to 8.68% for the Class of 2025. Here’s how Harvey Mudd’s RD statistics have evolved:

Note: RD figures are estimates derived by subtracting ED data from overall totals in Harvey Mudd’s official admissions announcements and Common Data Set.

RD applications have grown from 2,987 for the Class of 2024 to 4,623 for the Class of 2029, a 55% increase, mirroring the broader surge in overall applications. Admits have remained relatively constrained, ranging from 369 to 548 across all years. That combination pushed the RD acceptance rate from a high of 17.31% for the Class of 2024 down to a low of 8.68% for the Class of 2025. The rate has since stabilized in the 11–12% range for the Classes of 2027 through 2029.

Harvey Mudd Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent available Harvey Mudd transfer data comes from Fall 2025, with an acceptance rate of 2.94%. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Fall 2025 transfer data is from Harvey Mudd’s Common Data Set for 2025–2026.

The 2.94% transfer acceptance rate sits well below the 12.33% overall first-year rate for the Class of 2029, underscoring how few spots are available for students looking to join Harvey Mudd after their first year elsewhere.

Harvey Mudd Waitlist Acceptance Rate

The most recent waitlist data comes from Fall 2025, when Harvey Mudd admitted 0 students from the waitlist. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Waitlist data is from Harvey Mudd’s Common Data Set for 2025–2026.

Being placed on Harvey Mudd’s waitlist offers no guarantee of admission in the first place, and in Fall 2025, it offered none at all. This outcome likely reflects strong yield from the regular admit cycle, leaving no enrollment gap for waitlist offers to fill.

Prospective students who find themselves on the waitlist should treat it as a genuine long shot and pursue other options in parallel rather than waiting on a decision that may never come.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Harvey Mudd’s current acceptance rate?

The most recent confirmed acceptance rate is 12.33% for the Class of 2029. Harvey Mudd received 5,217 applications and admitted 643 students.

2. Is it easier to get into Harvey Mudd through Early Decision or Regular Decision?

ED applicants have historically fared better, with 18.35% vs. 11.55% for RD in the Class of 2029. Keep in mind, ED applicants also tend to be among the most competitive in the pool.

3. How hard is it to transfer to Harvey Mudd?

Very hard. For Fall 2025, only 4 of 136 applicants were admitted, a 2.94% transfer rate, well below the first-year rate. Harvey Mudd’s integrated curriculum leaves little room for mid-program transfers.

4. What are my chances of getting off Harvey Mudd’s waitlist?

It varies by year and depends entirely on enrollment yield. In Fall 2025, zero students were admitted from the waitlist. Treat it as a long shot and keep other options open.

5. Why is Harvey Mudd’s acceptance rate so low?

Growing demand meets a fixed, small class size. Harvey Mudd attracts thousands of highly qualified STEM applicants each year but typically admits fewer than 700 students, keeping acceptance rates in the low double digits.

Takeaways

• Harvey Mudd’s acceptance rate has trended downward, from 15.42% for the Class of 2021 to a record low of 9.99% for the Class of 2025, before stabilizing in the 12–13% range through the Class of 2029.
• ED offers a meaningful statistical edge. For the Class of 2029, the ED rate was 18.35% compared to 11.55% for RD, though early applicants also tend to be among the strongest in the pool.
• Transfer and waitlist admission are both highly unpredictable. The transfer rate was 2.94% for Fall 2025, and zero students were admitted from the waitlist that same year.
• Harvey Mudd’s class remains small by design, typically under 700 admits, meaning even modest swings in application volume can noticeably move the acceptance rate.
• Harvey Mudd’s selectivity makes thoughtful preparation essential, a college admissions expert can help you identify the gaps in your application before the admissions committee does.