Goucher College

Private · Moderately Selective · MD

Photo: Rob Coyle (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMD · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads964

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate45.9%

6-yr grad rate57.3%

Drop-out rate21.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$53k

Out-of-state tuition$53k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity54%

Gender diversity63.9%

International6.3%

Identity—

Overview

Goucher College is a small liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, just north of Baltimore, historically notable for having required every undergraduate to study abroad — a pioneering policy among American colleges. It operates as a wooded, residential campus with a progressive, individualized academic culture that gives students real latitude in shaping their own course of study.

Academics

International education carries through the curriculum given the study-abroad legacy, and psychology and dance are particular areas of recognized strength, with dance benefiting from strong studio facilities and faculty who are practicing choreographers or performers. The academic culture emphasizes individualized advising and flexible degree requirements over a rigid core curriculum.

Campus & student life

The wooded Towson campus sits close enough to Baltimore for easy access to the city while retaining its own distinct, quieter identity. Student culture leans progressive and individually oriented rather than organized around big-team athletics or Greek life, consistent with the college's broader academic philosophy.

Getting in

Goucher's process is holistic, and the college has been a notable innovator in application format over the years, including alternative submission options beyond the standard essay-and-transcript model, reflecting its comfort with rethinking traditional academic conventions.

After graduation

The study-abroad requirement's legacy shows up in graduates who pursue international careers, and the psychology and dance programs feed students toward graduate study and performance careers respectively at above-typical rates for a college this size.

Worth knowing

Goucher's individualized, flexible academic culture rewards self-direction — it suits students who want to shape their own path rather than follow a prescribed set of requirements.

goucher.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.7%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1090–1325 · ACT 27–30

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

Regular decisionJan 15

Applying