Living Off Campus

When you live on campus, your financial aid is determined from a cost of attendance that includes the exact cost of your housing and the 19-meal plan. The Office of Student Accounts bills you for housing and food when you live on campus. For off-campus housing, however, the cost of housing and food will vary from student to student. To distribute Harvey Mudd College’s limited funds in the most equitable manner, we use a standard off-campus housing and food budget for students living off campus. Since off-campus housing and food costs depend on your specific lifestyle and situation, we do not adjust housing and food budgets for actual expenses.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the off-campus housing allowance is $7,546 and the off-campus food allowance is $3,636 per year. If you are living with parents or relatives off-campus, the “at-home” housing and food budget is $4,063.

Generally, the off-campus allowance is less than the cost of on-campus housing and food. Therefore, if your contribution remains the same, moving off campus will decrease the amount of your need-based Harvey Mudd College Scholarship or other forms of aid you are eligible for.