Why This Matters
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33 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN MARYLAND
According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in Maryland include 14 public and 19 private non-profit options.
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$10,562 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in Maryland is $10,562, according to College Board.
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$15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID
In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in Maryland. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of postsecondary education programs in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Colleges in Maryland
Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Maryland
As you consider attending school in Maryland, it can help to understand which industries are most prominent in the state. As of May 2022, the largest five industries in Maryland are office and administrative support occupations, sales, management, transportation and material moving, and business and financial operations.
Additionally, to get some inspiration on how you’ll put your degree to use after graduation, it can be beneficial to know which careers are growing the fastest in the state. According to CareerOneStop, Maryland’s top five fastest-growing occupations for individuals with a bachelor’s degree are information security analysts, data scientists, education and childcare administrators, financial examiners, and medical and health services managers.
You should also become familiar with the major employers in Maryland. Some of the largest employers include the U.S. Social Security Administration, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the National Institutes of Health, and Northrop Grumman.
What’s Next?
The next step is to understand how you’ll pay for college. The average student relies on some form of financial aid to help fund their education. To get started, here are three crucial resources:
- Maryland Higher Education Commission. This agency administers a variety of scholarships and grants for Maryland college students.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.