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Community College of Baltimore County

#3 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Maryland
Public Baltimore, MD · Suburban · Mid-Atlantic · 87% data
B+ Diversity B Value B Affordability
Graduation Rate
17% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$43,729 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$9,844 B
43% less than the typical college
Enrollment
13,872
Earnings +7% vs avg
Graduation -70% vs avg
Net Price +-43% vs avg
Mobility Top 41%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 27.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $27.7 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Maryland.

27.7× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $27.7 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,052,732.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 17% — 70% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $27.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Community College of Baltimore County Matters

Community College of Baltimore County is a public community college in Baltimore, MD and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
13,872
Setting
Suburban
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Criminal Justice, Business & Marketing

Why students choose Community College of Baltimore County

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 40% overall
C+
Earnings
$43,729 median
B
Value
4.4× net price
B
Affordability
$9,844/yr net
F
Graduation
17% graduate
C+
Social Mobility
1.6% climb Q1→Q5
B+
Diversity
0.72 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With nearly 14,000 students enrolled, the Community College of Baltimore County serves a diverse group looking to jumpstart their careers or further their education. This school is particularly suited for those interested in practical fields like Health Professions, Humanities, Criminal Justice, Business & Marketing, and Computer Science & IT. It’s a place where students can gain skills that are directly applicable to the workforce or prepare for transfer to a four-year university.

Looking at life after graduation, students from the Community College of Baltimore County earn an average of $43,729 a decade after completing their studies. This figure is a good indicator of the value students find in their programs, especially considering the affordable net price of $9,844. With a median debt of $11,528, many graduates can manage their financial responsibilities and even thrive in their chosen fields without being burdened by heavy loan payments.

In practical terms, students who thrive here often appreciate the supportive environment and the opportunity to receive a quality education at a reasonable cost. The 34% of students receiving Pell Grants suggests that this college is accessible to many, especially those from lower-income backgrounds. With the right mindset and dedication, attendees can make the most of what the Community College of Baltimore County has to offer, setting the stage for a successful future.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Community College of Baltimore County is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Community College of Baltimore County? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Baltimore, Maryland, Community College of Baltimore County enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 17%.

Retention Rate
56%
Full-Time Faculty
30%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$9,385
Student–Faculty Ratio
14:1
Diversity Index
0.72
First-Gen Students
47%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Community College of Baltimore County? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Community College of Baltimore County is $11,010, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $9,844. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,807 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,528 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,432
Out-of-State
$11,010
Avg Net Price
$9,844
Median Debt
$11,528
Pell Grant Rate
34%
Federal Loan Rate
9%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$8,807
Family Income $30K–$48K
$8,725
Family Income $48K–$75K
$10,833
Family Income $110K+
$15,032

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Community College of Baltimore County — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Community College of Baltimore County Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Community College of Baltimore County report median earnings of $43,729, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$36,507
8 Years
$39,208
10 Years
$43,729
Debt-to-Earnings
0.26x
Earning > $25K
54%

Earnings Trajectory

$36,507 6yr $39,208 8yr $43,729 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (146)
8%
100% (146)
8%
100% (146)
8%
100% (146)
8%

How Community Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation17%Earnings 10yr$44KNet Price$10KRetention56%Median Debt$12KPell Grant Rate34%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$9K$0-30K$9K$30-48K$11K$48-75K$15K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%11.8%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%14.0%MOBILITY1.65%

College ROI Calculator

Is Community College of Baltimore County Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Community College of Baltimore County delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $9,844/year ($39,376 total). Graduates earn $43,729 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,092,108 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,052,732 (27.7× your investment). The median debt is $11,528, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 17% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$39,376
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,092,108
Net Return
$1,052,732
ROI Multiple
27.7×
Cost Per Year
$9,844
Median Debt
$11,528
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
17%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Community College of Baltimore County Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Community College of Baltimore County is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.65%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 14% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $71,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.65%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
14.0%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
11.8%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$97,279
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Community College of Baltimore County? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Community College of Baltimore County. Its economic connectedness score is 1.30, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.07). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.30
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.07
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.3%
Support Ratio
0.96
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$9,379,796
Investment Income
$83,056

Top Programs

The fields Community College of Baltimore County awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Community College of Baltimore County? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Baltimore, Maryland, Community College of Baltimore County enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 17%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Community College of Baltimore County? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Community College of Baltimore County is $11,010, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $9,844. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,807 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,528 in federal student loans.

Is Community College of Baltimore County Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Community College of Baltimore County report median earnings of $43,729, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Community College of Baltimore County Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Community College of Baltimore County is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.65%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 14% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $71,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Community College of Baltimore County? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Community College of Baltimore County. Its economic connectedness score is 1.30, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.07). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Community College of Baltimore County.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys