Oregon tech does well on Payscale too. That’s not to say the education is nearly as good as it would be at HMC, but ALL primarily tech schools do well on Payscale. That said, HMC, for the right person, is probably a good fit. HMC itself though is very small. Regardless of the affiliation with the CC, students spend the bulk of their time on the Mudd campus.
If she’d consider an even smaller school, not on the west coast, Olin is worth a look.