How do class sizes compare between MIT and Harvey Mudd College?

Harvey Mudd will provide the more consistently small, discussion-centered classroom experience; MIT can offer close faculty access, but its introductory STEM subjects are often much larger.

At Harvey Mudd, many required courses, labs, and humanities/social-science classes are taught in relatively small sections, so professors are more likely to know students personally and class participation is a routine part of the experience. The college’s small residential campus also makes informal contact with faculty, office hours, and collaboration with classmates feel highly accessible. Its cross-registration within the Claremont Colleges expands course options, although some courses taken at the other colleges may be larger.

At MIT, popular foundational subjects such as calculus, physics, chemistry, and introductory computer science can have large lectures, especially during the first year. Those courses are typically paired with smaller recitations, problem-solving sections, labs, and office hours, where students can ask questions and work more directly with instructors or teaching staff. Upper-level MIT classes often become substantially smaller, particularly within a major.

MIT’s faculty interaction is often strongest through research, including the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, advising, and departmental projects rather than through every lecture being discussion-based. For a student who wants small classes to be the default from the start, Harvey Mudd has the clearer structural advantage.