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University of Maryland-College Park

#2 Best Bachelor's Programs in Maryland
Public College Park, MD · Suburban · Mid-Atlantic · 100% data
A Earnings A Graduation A Diversity
Graduation Rate
89% A
Most students who enroll finish their degree here
Earnings (10yr)
$82,860 A
Top 3% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$15,678 C+
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
45% A-
Selective, but achievable with strong credentials
Earnings +103% vs avg
Graduation +55% vs avg
Net Price +-9% vs avg

Bottom line: A A- overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 34.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $34.0 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Best Bachelor's Programs in Maryland.

34.0× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $34.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,069,244.

What The Data Says

  1. An A- overall — top 15% of all U.S. colleges on measured outcomes.

  2. Graduates earn 103% more than the national college median.

  3. A 89% graduation rate — 55% above the national average.

  4. A top feeder school for 6 major employers.

  5. Every $1 invested returns $34.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Economic Footprint

Employer Pipelines
6
Top feeder programs

Why University of Maryland-College Park Matters

University of Maryland-College Park is a public research university in College Park, MD and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a top-tier research enterprise and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 3% of all U.S. colleges.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Research University
Carnegie Class
R1 · Very High Research
Enrollment
30,760
Setting
Suburban
Primary Strengths
Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing, Social Sciences, Engineering

Why students choose University of Maryland-College Park

Elite STEM ecosystem
Engineering, computing, and the sciences dominate its programs
Top-tier research university
R1 status: undergraduates work alongside leading researchers
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Exceptional earning outcomes
Graduate earnings in the top 3% of colleges

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

A-
Top 15% overall
A
Earnings
$82,860 median
A-
Value
5.3× net price
C+
Affordability
$15,678/yr net
A
Graduation
89% graduate
A-
Selectivity
45% admit rate
A
Diversity
0.76 index

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

How we grade →
1
Can I Get In?

Admissions

Selective
45% admit rate

Selective — admits about 45% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1400–1530. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.

Check your odds →
2
Can I Afford It?

Net price + aid

C+
$15,678/yr net

Students pay about $15,678 a year after grants and scholarships — 9% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.

See cost & aid →
3
What Happens After?

Earnings + debt

A
$82,860 median

Graduates earn a median of $82,860 ten years after enrolling — 103% above the typical college, against $19,000 in median debt.

See outcomes →
4
Does It Change Lives?

Mobility + social capital

1.84 connectedness

Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 1.84 (Opportunity Insights).

See mobility →

Overview

With nearly 31,000 students, the University of Maryland-College Park is a vibrant choice for those interested in fields like Computer Science and IT, Business and Marketing, and Engineering. The school’s acceptance rate is 45%, meaning it’s competitive but still accessible for many. What stands out here is the impressive 89% graduation rate, indicating that students who enroll are likely to see their academic journeys through to completion.

After graduation, students can expect solid earnings, with a 10-year post-degree salary averaging $82,860. This figure is particularly important when considering the long-term return on investment for education. The affordability of the school plays a big role in this, as the net price after aid is around $15,678. This allows for a manageable financial situation, especially when considering that only 19% of students receive Pell Grants, suggesting that many students are coming from a range of economic backgrounds.

In terms of financial outlook, graduates leave with a median debt of $19,000, which is quite reasonable compared to potential earnings. This balance is crucial for those who want to thrive after college without being weighed down by excessive debt. Students who tend to succeed here are often those who take advantage of internships and career services, engaging actively with the community and resources available to them. Overall, Maryland-College Park supports students through a solid combination of academic rigor and financial feasibility.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective University of Maryland-College Park 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 University of Maryland-College Park? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in College Park, Maryland, University of Maryland-College Park reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 45%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,473. The graduation rate is roughly 89%.

Acceptance Rate
45%
Retention Rate
96%
SAT Average
1473
ACT Midpoint
32
SAT Range
1400–1530
ACT Range
32–35
Full-Time Faculty
83%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$17,205
Student–Faculty Ratio
18:1
Diversity Index
0.76
First-Gen Students
22%
Applicants
56,761
Admitted
25,320

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26

The acceptance rate tells you how hard University of Maryland-College Park is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 22% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate
22%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
37%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
7%
of enrolled freshmen

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 44% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: University of Maryland-College Park's Common Data Set, 2025-26 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

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 University of Maryland-College Park? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Maryland-College Park is $41,186, 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 $15,678. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,962 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$11,809
Out-of-State
$41,186
Avg Net Price
$15,678
Median Debt
$19,000
Pell Grant Rate
19%
Federal Loan Rate
22%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$2,962
Family Income $30K–$48K
$6,051
Family Income $48K–$75K
$10,273
Family Income $110K+
$26,691

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 University of Maryland-College Park — 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 University of Maryland-College Park Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Maryland-College Park earn a median of $82,860, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

6 Years After Entry
$67,785
8 Years
$75,472
10 Years
$82,860
Debt-to-Earnings
0.23x
Earning > $25K
79%

Earnings Trajectory

$67,785 6yr $75,472 8yr $82,860 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (2,878)
70%
100% (2,878)
70%
100% (2,878)
70%
100% (2,878)
70%

Where Grads Go

University of Maryland-College Park is a top feeder for:

Rank among programs feeding each employer.

Top employers of University of Maryland-College Park’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.

Explore the Career Destination Guide → Source: University of Maryland-College Park — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

How University Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation89%Earnings 10yr$83KNet Price$16KRetention96%Median Debt$19KPell Grant Rate19%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$3K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$10K$48-75K$27K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is University of Maryland-College Park Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, University of Maryland-College Park delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,678/year ($62,712 total). Graduates earn $82,860 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,131,956 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,069,244 (34.0× your investment). The median debt is $19,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 89% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$62,712
Projected 20yr Earnings
$2,131,956
Net Return
$2,069,244
ROI Multiple
34.0×
Cost Per Year
$15,678
Median Debt
$19,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
89%
Explore all University of ROI scenarios

Does It Change Lives?

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

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is University of Maryland-College Park? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Maryland-College Park. Its economic connectedness score is 1.84, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.84
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
8.0%
Support Ratio
0.99
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

Top Programs

The fields University of Maryland-College Park 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.

Top Careers

Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for University of Maryland-College Park's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into University of Maryland-College Park? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in College Park, Maryland, University of Maryland-College Park reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 45%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,473. The graduation rate is roughly 89%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Maryland-College Park? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Maryland-College Park is $41,186, 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 $15,678. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,962 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,000 in federal student loans.

Is University of Maryland-College Park Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Maryland-College Park earn a median of $82,860, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

How Connected Is University of Maryland-College Park? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Maryland-College Park. Its economic connectedness score is 1.84, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Does University of Maryland-College Park offer Early Decision?

No. University of Maryland-College Park does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2025-26 Common Data Set).

Is University of Maryland-College Park really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 44% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at University of Maryland-College Park (2025-26 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at University of Maryland-College Park?

About 22% of admitted students choose to enroll at University of Maryland-College Park — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

Compare University of Maryland-College Park

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