2023 Top Colleges in Maryland

Hood College

Frederick, MD ‧ Private ‧ 4-year

Across more than 30 majors and even more concentrations and minors, Hood College prepares students to thrive as well-rounded, lifelong learners who make a difference in their community. The school strives to help students meet “personal, professional and societal challenges and to lead purposeful lives of responsibility, leadership, service, and civic engagement.”

Acceptance rate 71%      •      Net price $23,775
Total Undergrad Population 2,042      •      Setting City: Small      •      Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 61%      •      Retention rate 75%      •      Student-to-faculty ratio 11:1

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Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD ‧ Public ‧ 4-year

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution providing instruction to a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational student body and offering more than 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan fulfills its mission to address the needs and challenges of the modern urban environment through intense community-level study and pioneering solutions. 

Anchored in a charming residential area of northeast Baltimore, the breadth of Morgan’s expansive campus encompasses more than 185 acres extending beyond its sprawling campus proper which features state-of-the-art facilities geared toward innovative teaching and learning in the 21st century. The only university to have its entire campus, designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers a safe and inviting learning environment with easy access to the best the city has to offer: culture, exhibits, dining, shopping, activities, sightseeing and employment. The off-campus opportunities also extend to community projects and civic engagement.

Acceptance rate 74%      •      Net price $16,651      •      SAT Range 910-1070      •      Students submitting SAT scores 85%
Total Undergrad Population 7,634      •      Setting City: Large      •      Public 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 46%      •      Retention rate 74%      •      Student-to-faculty ratio 13:1

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Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD ‧ Catholic ‧ 4-year

Notre Dame of Maryland University’s approach to education has prepared thousands of high-level performers and creators of social change. The University is consistently responsive to the needs of a student body that’s hungry to learn and a world that’s hungry for knowledgeable, compassionate leaders.

GLOBAL LEARNING
NDMU is the first university in Maryland to be granted United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Status. This classification for the institution offers NDMU students greater access to the U.N. and esteemed global leaders. Students make regular trips to the U.N., participating in a range of international learning experiences. U.N. ambassadors are also brought to campus as part of NDMU’s Visiting Ambassador Program. Students have the opportunity to meet and learn from representatives from around the globe who are creating and influencing international relations.

Acceptance rate 62%      •      Net price $20,023
Total Undergrad Population 2,233      •      Setting City: Large      •      Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 49%      •      Retention rate 65%      •      Student-to-faculty ratio 7:1

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Salisbury University

Salisbury, MD ‧ Private ‧ 4-year

Salisbury University (SU) is nationally recognized for academic excellence. Its creative curriculum emphasizes undergraduate research, study abroad, professional internships, and civic engagement. Located on Maryland’s historic Eastern Shore, SU offers over 40 undergraduate majors and nearly 20 graduate programs, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Doctor of Education program.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Nationally lauded for its dedication to undergraduate research, SU offers students multiple opportunities to assist professors in research as well as perform their own independent studies. Findings are presented on campus during the annual Student Research Conference, and many student-scholars also speak at national and international conferences. SU has twice hosted the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING
Much of the learning at Salisbury takes place outside the classroom. Students have assisted with field work both in local old-growth forests as well as in Amazon rainforests. They have also worked inside the Henson Science Hall labs, researching nerve development and preparing payloads for NASA rockets in order to test the effects of cancer metastasis in zero gravity.

Acceptance rate 78%      •      Net price $18,599
Total Undergrad Population 8,124      •      Setting Suburb      •      Public 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 69%      •      Retention rate 78%      •      Student-to-faculty ratio 15:1

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St. Mary’s College of Maryland

St. Mary’s City, MD ‧ Public ‧ 4-year

As the National Public Honors College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland offers the kind of undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences education and small-college experience found at exceptional private colleges, all while remaining committed to its ideals of affordability, accessibility, and diversity. By combining the virtues of public and private education, St. Mary’s College provides a unique alternative for students and their families. This special identity underpins the College’s success along with its reputation for excellence.

THE ST. MARY’S PROJECT
The St. Mary’s Project is a year-long, 8-credit, independently designed and executed course of study that serves as a capstone experience for a student’s time at St. Mary’s College. Designed to engage students close conjunction with one or more professors, the St. Mary’s Project provides the opportunity to explore any idea or question that a student finds especially intriguing. Many projects are interdisciplinary, bringing together threads from earlier classes taken across the curriculum. They are typically highly personal, involving creative or innovative work that ties together students’ individual four years of study in a meaningful way. 

Acceptance rate 79%      •      Net price $20,237      •      SAT Range 1070-1280      •      Students submitting SAT scores 85%
Total Undergrad Population 1,508      •      Setting Suburb      •      Public 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 72%      •      Retention rate 83%      •      Student-to-faculty ratio 9:1

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