Why This Matters

  • 18 TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN MARYLAND

    There are 18 two-year institutions that grant associate degrees in Maryland, according to College Navigator.

  • $6,773 AVERAGE IN-DISTRICT TUITION & FEES

    According to College Board, the average Maryland resident paid an estimated $6,773 in tuition and fees at in-district community colleges during the 2020-21 school year.

  • 437,899 STUDENTS ATTENDING TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S. RECEIVED FINANCIAL AID

    Around 76.9% of community college students received some type of financial aid, such as scholarships, grants, work-study opportunities, and loans, during the 2018-19 school year.

Our Research

For this list, we reviewed some of the best two-year community college programs in Maryland. We examined both private and public institutions, as well as programs that are offered online and in-person. Other factors we considered are tuition costs and the number of credits required to graduate.

We narrowed our focus to accredited institutions, which validates the quality of a program and helps differentiate students in the job market. Most of the colleges featured on this list are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a non-profit organization that performs peer evaluations to determine the integrity, quality, and value of institutions in the northeast.

  • 28hours to write this article
  • 30universities and colleges we assessed
  • 65education programs we compared

The Top 50 Community Colleges in Maryland

Best Community Colleges in Maryland Badge
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What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in Maryland

When deciding where to attend community college, you should consider your career and earning potential. In 2020, the top five highest paying careers for associate degree holders in Maryland were air traffic controllers, funeral home managers, calibration technologists, dental hygienists, and radiation therapists.

Maryland job-seekers with an associate degree should examine fields that tend to have high employment rates. Occupations expected to have the most job openings in the next decade are preschool teachers, paralegal and legal assistants, computer network support specialists, human resource assistants, and electrical and electronics engineering techs.

When reviewing potential career paths, associate degree holders should also take into account which fields are expected to see a decline in the employment rate. In Maryland, the jobs that are projected to undergo a decline include desktop publishers, industrial engineering technicians, mechanical drafters, nuclear techs, and broadcast technicians.

What’s Next?

While researching community colleges, you should consider which financial aid opportunities are available to you. This list describes some of the federal and state resources that can connect associate degree students with grants, scholarships, loans, and financial aid opportunities in Maryland.

  • Maryland Higher Education Commission. The Maryland Higher Education Commission facilitates access to a wide range of financial aid programs, including grants, scholarships, state loans, and work-study opportunities.
  • Federal Student Aid. The U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid offers over $120 billion in financial aid every year. To see if you are eligible for a FAFSA scholarship or grant, visit the FAFSA4caster. You can also apply through the online FAFSA form.
  • CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop provides extensive information about the different scholarships available in each state, including details about award amounts, qualifications, and deadlines.