Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at Harvey Mudd College

Something doesn't add up here. Harvey Mudd is one of the nation's most selective STEM-focused colleges (13% admission rate, 1537 average SAT), yet the estimated first-year earnings of $40,433 for this interdisciplinary degree barely exceed the national median for all similar programs. While the $22,875 in estimated debt is manageable with a 0.57 debt-to-earnings ratio, comparable California programs span from $35,400 to over $100,000—suggesting wide variation in outcomes that makes these peer-derived estimates particularly uncertain for assessing Harvey Mudd specifically.

The challenge is that Harvey Mudd's interdisciplinary studies program likely serves a distinct purpose—perhaps bridging engineering with humanities, or preparing students for graduate school—that isn't captured by statewide medians drawn from very different institutions. Given that only 14% of students receive Pell grants, most families here aren't relying on first-year earnings to justify the investment. But if you're counting on immediate financial return, these peer program estimates suggest modest outcomes that seem disconnected from the school's overall prestige and selectivity.

Before committing to this path at Harvey Mudd, you need actual graduate outcomes for this specific program. The estimation here is too crude to assess whether this interdisciplinary degree leads to the kind of opportunities Harvey Mudd's reputation might suggest, or whether it underperforms relative to the college's more traditional STEM offerings.