Quad

Head-to-head

Harvey Mudd
Samuel Merritt

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Samuel Merritt grads earn $4.6K more ten years out than Harvey Mudd's ($143,238 vs. $138,687)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Harvey Mudd is more diverse (index 0.82 vs. 0.78)

    Diversity index
  3. 3

    Harvey Mudd is a bit larger (921 vs. 718)

    Undergrads
  4. 4

    Samuel Merritt has 3 pts more Pell recipients than Harvey Mudd (18% vs. 15%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    Samuel Merritt graduates 2 pts more of its students than Harvey Mudd (96% vs. 93%)

    Graduation rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Harvey Mudd admits 12%; Samuel Merritt doesn't report an acceptance rate.

Acceptance rate
Harvey Mudd12%
Samuel MerrittNot reported
Quad's selectivity
  • Harvey MuddHighly selective
  • Samuel MerrittNot rated
SAT middle 50%Axis 1400–1600
Harvey Mudd
1500–1560
Samuel MerrittNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Harvey MuddRigor and GPA very important
  • Samuel MerrittNot reported

Who's on each campus

Harvey Mudd is a bit larger than Samuel Merritt (921 vs. 718 undergrads); Samuel Merritt has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Harvey Mudd921
Samuel Merritt718
Pell Grant share
Harvey Mudd15%
Samuel Merritt18%

Majors and faculty

Engineering leads at Harvey Mudd, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse at Samuel Merritt; Samuel Merritt has 5 students per faculty member to Harvey Mudd's 8.

Students per faculty member
Harvey Mudd8 to 1
Samuel Merritt5 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Harvey MuddEngineering, General29%
  • Samuel MerrittRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse100%

What each costs

Only Harvey Mudd reports an average cost ($60.7K).

Average cost, all students
Harvey Mudd$60.7K
Samuel MerrittNot reported
Aid generosity
Harvey Mudd33%
Samuel MerrittNot reported

What each pays off

Samuel Merritt's former students earn more, a median $143.2K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 90% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Harvey Mudd$138.7K
Samuel Merritt$143.2K
Graduation rate
Harvey Mudd93%
Samuel Merritt96%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Harvey Mudd, whose selectivity held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Harvey MuddGrowing+39%
  • Samuel MerrittNot reported
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Harvey Mudd College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Harvey Mudd College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Harvey Mudd College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Harvey Mudd College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why