Colleges in Maryland
Ranked, compared, and filtered by real data: costs, outcomes, and admissions
About Maryland
The University of Maryland sits close enough to Washington DC that students in policy, international studies, and cybersecurity are essentially inside their professional environment from day one.
Johns Hopkins has built one of the world's most recognized medical and public health institutions in Baltimore. Its Bloomberg School of Public Health is the largest public health school in the country, and Morgan State serves as the state's flagship HBCU with growing programs in engineering and the sciences.
By Ownership
By Type
Why Study in Maryland?
- Government career access Maryland's proximity to Washington DC gives students access to government and policy careers unavailable elsewhere.
- Promise Scholarship Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship covers tuition for qualifying residents at two-year institutions.
- Johns Hopkins globally recognized Johns Hopkins carries global recognition in medicine, public health, and biomedical engineering.
- Highly educated communities Montgomery and Howard County rank among the most educated and highest-income communities in the country.
- Rising housing costs Cost of living in the DC-Baltimore corridor has risen significantly, and housing near flagship campuses is increasingly expensive.
- Traffic is a daily burden Traffic infrastructure around College Park is among the most difficult in the region, adding real cost to daily student life.
- Narrow career pathways for non-gov fields Career pathways in government and defense are strong, but students in other fields may find the market less accessible.
How Maryland Compares
See how Maryland's colleges compare to the national average on the four measures most students and families weigh when deciding where to go: cost, acceptance rates, graduate earnings, and graduation rates.
Top Colleges in Maryland
The colleges in Maryland that rank highest by UCD Score, and those that deliver above-national graduate earnings at a below-average net price, two of the strongest signals when choosing a school.
Highest UCD Score
Johns Hopkins University
University of Maryland-College Park
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Towson University
Women's Institute of Torah Seminary and College
Best Value Colleges
Carroll Community College
Chesapeake College
Montgomery College
Hagerstown Community College
Prince George's Community College
Frederick Community College
Best Colleges by Goal
Not every student is looking for the same thing. These six panels rank Maryland's colleges by the data that matters most for each path.
Nursing & Health
Ranked by annual graduates
-
1
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore$87,555
-
2
University of Maryland Baltimore Baltimore$88,174
-
3
University of Maryland-College Park College Park$82,860
Engineering
Ranked by annual graduates
-
1
University of Maryland-College Park College Park$82,860
-
2
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore$87,555
-
3
United States Naval Academy Annapolis—
Business
Ranked by annual graduates
- 1 $65,287
-
2
University of Maryland-College Park College Park$82,860
-
3
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore$87,555
Most Affordable
Ranked by net price
-
1
Carroll Community College Westminster$2,725
-
2
Chesapeake College Wye Mills$5,106
-
3
Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown$6,835
Community Colleges
Ranked by enrollment
-
1
Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore$9,844
-
2
Montgomery College Rockville$8,027
- 3 $14,915
Highest Earnings
Ranked by grad earnings
-
1
University of Maryland Baltimore Baltimore$88,174
-
2
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore$87,555
- 3 $85,035
Career Outcomes & ROI
Which colleges give you the most for what you spend? These eight schools rank highest in Maryland by the ratio of 10-year graduate earnings to annual net price.
| # | College | Net Price / yr | Earnings (10yr) | Ratio | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carroll Community College Westminster | $2,725 | $44,349 | 16.3× | Excellent |
| 2 | Chesapeake College Wye Mills | $5,106 | $36,301 | 7.1× | Excellent |
| 3 | Montgomery College Rockville | $8,027 | $50,159 | 6.3× | Excellent |
| 4 | Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown | $6,835 | $41,615 | 6.1× | Excellent |
| 5 | Prince George's Community College Largo | $8,672 | $47,548 | 5.5× | Excellent |
| 6 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park | $15,678 | $82,860 | 5.3× | Excellent |
| 7 | Frederick Community College Frederick | $9,465 | $46,449 | 4.9× | Excellent |
| 8 | Ner Israel Rabbinical College Pikesville | $13,572 | $66,330 | 4.9× | Excellent |
ROI Ratio = median earnings 10 years after enrollment ÷ annual net price. Higher is better.
Popular Majors in Maryland
The six fields of study with the most annual graduates across all colleges in Maryland, based on IPEDS completion data.
Business
Health
Computer Science
Liberal Arts
Social Sciences
Education
Top Programs in Maryland
The specific degree programs producing the most graduates across Maryland's colleges. A more granular view than the Popular Majors above, useful when you already know roughly what you want to study and want to see where the volume is.
Top Careers in Maryland
Careers with a strong employment footprint in Maryland. What graduates from local colleges actually go on to do. State-level employment is shown where the BLS publishes it; national wage + growth shown alongside.
Colleges by City in Maryland
The cities in Maryland with the most colleges, ranked by number of institutions.
- Baltimore 15 colleges
- Annapolis 2 colleges
- Columbia 2 colleges
- Frederick 2 colleges
- Salisbury 2 colleges
- Westminster 2 colleges
- Adelphi 1 college
- Arnold 1 college
- Bel Air 1 college
- Bowie 1 college
- Chestertown 1 college
- College Park 1 college
- Cumberland 1 college
- Emmitsburg 1 college
- Frostburg 1 college
- Hagerstown 1 college
- La Plata 1 college
- Landover 1 college
Frequently Asked Questions
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