University of Maryland-College Park

Public · Selective · MD

Photo: carmichaellibrary (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationMD · South

SettingSuburban

Undergrads30,760

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate77.1%

6-yr grad rate88.6%

Drop-out rate3.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$12k

Out-of-state tuition$41k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity61.2%

Gender diversity49.3%

International3.3%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Maryland's flagship campus in College Park sits just outside Washington, DC, giving students unusually direct access to federal agencies, national labs, and internships that shape much of student life on top of a large, comprehensive research university. Its athletic and academic identity shifted meaningfully when it left the ACC for the Big Ten in 2014, a move that changed both its conference rivalries and its research-collaboration networks.

Academics

Computer science and engineering, housed in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, are especially strong, aided by proximity to federal research funding, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and federal agencies more broadly, and the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Philip Merrill College of Journalism are both well regarded. The university is also a recognized hub for quantum computing research through its Joint Quantum Institute, work substantial enough that it has directly spun out real companies in the field. A large honors program, including the team-based interdisciplinary Gemstone program, lets students opt into smaller, more intensive coursework within a big public-university setting.

Campus & student life

Big Ten-caliber athletics, a sprawling campus, and a growing tech-startup culture tied to the DC corridor give College Park a mix of traditional large-university social life and career-oriented ambition. Testudo, the bronze diamondback terrapin statue at the center of campus, is a genuine campus tradition — students rub its nose for luck before exams — and housing and student life otherwise reflect the scale of a major flagship rather than a small residential college feel.

Getting in

As a large public flagship, admissions weighs academic record heavily, though competitive programs like computer science and business often have additional, more selective review layered on top of general admission. Demonstrated interest in a specific competitive major can matter as much as overall academic strength for students targeting those programs.

After graduation

Graduates move heavily into government, federal contracting, tech, consulting, and media, helped by the DC-area internship pipeline that starts well before graduation for many students. The quantum-computing and computer-science research pipelines in particular feed directly into both federal research careers and private-sector tech and startup roles.

Worth knowing

The DC-adjacent location is the university's biggest practical advantage — internships at federal agencies, think tanks, and DC-based companies are far more accessible during the school year than they would be from a more remote flagship campus. The Gemstone program and the quantum-research profile are two lesser-known strengths worth knowing about beyond the more obvious DC-internship pitch.

umd.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate44.8%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1400–1530 · ACT 32–35

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 20

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App.

Early Action is non-binding and gives priority consideration for admission; the site frames it as the preferred deadline, with admitted students given until May 1 to decide.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗