Should I choose Carnegie Mellon or Harvey Mudd for undergraduate research?

For undergraduate research specifically, I would choose Harvey Mudd unless Carnegie Mellon has a particular lab or specialty, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, or computational science, that you already know you want to pursue. Harvey Mudd’s small undergraduate enrollment and lack of Ph.D. students make it easier for students to work directly with faculty and take meaningful ownership of a project. Research can begin early, rather than being reserved mainly for juniors and seniors with established coursework.

At Harvey Mudd, faculty research is embedded in a close-knit science and engineering environment, and students can also draw on courses, mentors, and opportunities across the Claremont Colleges. The college’s summer research opportunities and its senior Clinic program create additional ways to do sustained, team-based technical work. Clinic is not the same as faculty research, since it is typically sponsored by external organizations, but it can build the practical skills that make a student more useful in a research group.

Carnegie Mellon offers a much larger and broader research ecosystem. Its strengths are especially pronounced in computing-related fields, engineering, design, cognitive science, and interdisciplinary work, with many established labs and research centers. The university also has formal undergraduate research support, including programs that connect students with projects and funding. For a student seeking a narrow, advanced specialty or hoping to explore several research directions, that depth can be valuable.

The tradeoff is access. At Carnegie Mellon, undergraduates may need to be more proactive about contacting faculty, building relevant skills, and standing out in labs that also include graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. At Harvey Mudd, the smaller scale often makes faculty relationships and research entry points more visible. Before deciding, compare the current faculty projects in your intended field at both schools; a strong match with two or three professors matters more than the total number of labs.