<p>Mudder's_Mudder-</p>
<p>The graduation rates at the link you posted are 4-year graduation rates. I am not sure why US News even posts them on their web site under "Honor Rolls, Top 100 Lists" because these 4-year rates are misleading. These are not the official college graduation rates. The official rates are listed in the US News tables for Top National Universities and Top Liberal Arts Colleges, which is the source I used.</p>
<p>Under federal law, colleges are required to publicize their freshman graduation rate. The time frame for graduation rates is 150% of the length of its longest program. This would be 6 years for colleges with 4-year programs and 7.5 years for colleges with 5 year programs. Universities with active co-op and internship programs have to allow students more than 4 years to graduate. So, the 4-year rate is an underestimate, especially for universities with engineering schools.</p>
<p>Flippy-
If SAT scores are the best single index of student quality, graduation rates are the best single indicator of college quality. Grad rate overperformance and underperformance tells how well the college does with the students who enroll there, controlling for student quality (SAT scores). Grad rates are meaningful in comparison with PEER institutions. Peer institutions would be about the same with regard to selectivity, student quality, public-private, religious affiliation, co-education, and proportion of students in engineering/science majors.</p>
<p>I think US News is mistaken when they report a 16 percent grad rate underperformance for Harvey Mudd. They probably applied the formula for liberal arts colleges to Harvey Mudd because it falls in that classification but HM is really different from other Lib Arts colleges. The "underperformance" at HM is probably more like 5%.</p>
<p>Research support in total $ for engineering, sciences and math at Caltech is 70 times greater than at Harvey Mudd. At MIT, research support is 200 times greater than at Harvey Mudd. But, HM is all undergrad, I believe.</p>
<p>At Harvey Mudd, about 27% of the students who are accepted will enroll. At Caltech, it is about 37%. At MIT it is about 59%. </p>
<p>So, there are differences. But, I am convinced that Harvey Mudd is a terrific school for engineering, one of the best in America. Students who go there should be proud. And, I love the name "Harvey Mudd". Any college with a name like Harvey Mudd has gotta be cool.</p>