Higher Education Outcome Report · South

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Maryland Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 47 degree-granting institutions graded

Maryland's higher education system is a higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $55,815, +8% vs the national median.

biotech & cybersecurity
federal & defense
healthcare

74
INSTITUTIONS: $55,815
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 8% vs natl; $16,393
AVG NET PRICE: 30 / 17
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

A-

71/100 · #5 of 50

Maryland At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

47

242,247 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~29,226

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
76th pct

$53,023

12th of 50 states
Mobility Score
67th pct

1.8%

15th of 46 states
Talent Retention
44th pct

74%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
78th pct

3.5x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Technology
Humanities
Business

Executive Summary

Maryland graduates earn a median of $53,023 a decade after entry, 9% above the national state average, ranking 12th of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.8% rate, in the 67th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Technology and Humanities, which together account for 35% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $64,184, +24.4% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 6% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Maryland returns 3.5x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+6.2%

Median graduate earnings in Maryland are above the national average by 6%.
Cost vs National

+2.6%

Net price in Maryland is higher than the national average by 3%.
Mobility Rate

+0.03pp

Upward mobility rate is 0 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

-4.6pp

Maryland's graduation rate is 4.6 percentage points below the national average.
Best Value

16.3x

Top value school: Carroll Community College ($44,349 earnings vs $2,725 net price).
Low-Income Access

9%

9% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Technology (18% of graduates) and Humanities (17% of graduates) dominate Maryland's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $59,847.

Technology

18%

$59,847 avg
Humanities

17%

$47,943 avg
Business

17%

$53,505 avg
Healthcare

13%

$55,896 avg
Social Sciences

11%

$62,115 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 13

Outcome Performance

Maryland's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Transportation), where graduates average $44,348 against a net cost of $8,186, a 5.4x return. That's -14% vs the national median.

Transportation
5.4x

$44,348 earnings $8,186 net -14% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
5.2x

$44,305 earnings $8,439 net -14.1% vs natl
Construction Trades
5.0x

$47,381 earnings $9,428 net -8.1% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
4.3x

$44,027 earnings $10,315 net -14.6% vs natl
Precision Production
4.2x

$40,239 earnings $9,602 net -22% vs natl
Legal Studies
3.8x

$48,268 earnings $12,607 net -6.4% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Maryland's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Computer Science & IT 17%
Business & Marketing 17%
Humanities 16%
Health Professions 13%
Social Sciences 5%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $71,232
Biology & Biomedical $63,889
Social Sciences $62,732
Psychology $61,479
Computer Science & IT $59,540

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Maryland's graduate supply.

Engineering $71,232 4% of grads
Biology & Biomedical $63,889 4% of grads
Psychology $61,479 5% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Maryland's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.8%, which puts the state in the 67th percentile nationally. 9% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.55, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.8%

▲ +0.16pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

9%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

24%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

36%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

74%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.55

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Maryland's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $64,184, +24.4% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 6% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Technology
18% of enrollment

$55,721 +8% vs natl

29 schools
Humanities
17% of enrollment

$48,472 -6% vs natl

25 schools
Business
17% of enrollment

$52,596 +2% vs natl

35 schools
Healthcare
13% of enrollment

$53,346 +3.4% vs natl

28 schools
Social Sciences
11% of enrollment

$61,987 +20.2% vs natl

24 schools
Sciences
5% of enrollment

$64,184 +24.4% vs natl

16 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +24.4% vs national earnings ($64,184)

Social Sciences: +20.2% vs national earnings ($61,987)

Technology: +8% vs national earnings ($55,721)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -6% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Maryland's higher education system includes 3 research-oriented, 8 specialized, 3 access-oriented, 33 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

3

Research Universities
33

Regional Universities
3

Access-Oriented Institutions
8

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

50% of Maryland's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $46,187 at 10 years. At the premium end, 2 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $48,398.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

22

50% of schools
Avg earnings: $46,187
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

17

39% of schools
Avg earnings: $63,953
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

3

7% of schools
Avg earnings: $70,083
NET PRICE OVER $40K

2

5% of schools
Avg earnings: $48,398

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Maryland

Maryland is home to 74 colleges and universities, from 30 public institutions to 17 private nonprofits. University of Maryland Global Campus anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $46,562 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Baltimore, Salisbury and Annapolis, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Computer Science & IT and Business & Marketing. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Maryland

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $18,542 a year across Maryland. Montgomery College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Maryland's economy leans on biotech & cybersecurity, federal & defense and healthcare, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Computer Science & IT and Business & Marketing feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Maryland level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Maryland earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$46,562

▲ +$2,725 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$18,542

▼ +$466 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.5x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

HBCUs in Maryland

Is Maryland Right for You?

Maryland is a strong fit if you want to build a career in biotech & cybersecurity and federal & defense, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

University of Maryland Baltimore · MD Johns Hopkins University · MD Capitol Technology University · MD University of Maryland-College Park · MD Loyola University Maryland · MD University of Maryland-Baltimore County · MD

FAQ

How many colleges are in Maryland?

There are 74 colleges and universities in Maryland in our dataset — 30 public, 17 private nonprofit, including 4 HBCUs.

What is the highest-earning college in Maryland?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, University of Maryland Baltimore leads, followed by schools like Johns Hopkins University and Capitol Technology University.

How much does college cost in Maryland?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $18,542 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Maryland?

Maryland's economy is anchored by biotech & cybersecurity, federal & defense and healthcare, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Maryland?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Montgomery College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 74 schools in Maryland

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

74 institutions in Maryland

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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