Efter at have gået på Los Angeles Pierce College som studerende og [[quarterback]], startede Harmon på [[University of California, Los Angeles]], og fulgte i sin fars atletiske fodspor, som quarterback for UCLA Bruins i [[1972]] og [[1973]].<ref name="nff">{{cite web|url=http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=243|title=Florida Citrus Sports Foundation Endows NFF Scholar-Athlete Award|date=2003-11-12|access-date=2008-04-14|publisher=National Football Foundation|archive-date=10. januar 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110033922/http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=243|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="encyclo">{{cite web|url=http://members.fortunecity.com/cordula/abios/harmonbios.html|title=Mark Harmon Biography|access-date=2010-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021019163351/http://members.fortunecity.com/cordula/abios/harmonbios.html|archive-date=19. oktober 2002|url-status=live}}</ref>
Efter en forrygende kamp mod de dobbelte forsvarende nationale mestre Nebraska Cornhuskers i [[1972]].<ref name="husker">{{cite web|url=http://www.huskernews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/1999/06/01/380d0cbe3|title=The Devaney Era: The Day The Three-Peat Died: 1973 Nebraska - UCLA Game|date=1999-06-01|first=Mark|last=Fricke|access-date=2008-04-14|publisher=Husker Press Box|archive-date=10. maj 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510103331/http://www.huskernews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/1999/06/01/380d0cbe3|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="si">{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/richard_deitsch/05/11/qa.harmon/index.html|title=Q&A: Mark Harmon|publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]]|first=Richard|last=Deitsch|date=2006-05-11|access-date=2008-04-14}}</ref> modtog han National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence i 1973<ref name="nff"/><ref name="tvguide">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mark-harmon/bio/164630|title=Mark Harmon: Biography|publisher=TV Guide|access-date=2008-04-14}}</ref> I hans to år som quarterback under træner Pepper Rodgers' wishbone offense, vandt UCLA 17 kampe og tabte kun 5.
Han tog eksamen fra UCLA med en [[Bachelor|B.A.]] i kommunikation [[Summa cum laude|cum laude]] i [[1974]].
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