Acceptance Rate
45%
Avg. SAT
1530
75th percentile
“At UMD, you dive into a massive public research engine fueled by DC's orbit, where Terps grind through Big Ten rivalries and quantum breakthroughs amid suburban sprawl.”
College Park, MD
Location
Large Suburb
Campus Setting
Founded in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College on a sprawling farm donated by a local tobacco farmer, the University of Maryland-College Park evolved into the state's flagship after surviving fires and world wars, absorbing federal research dollars post-WWII to become a land-grant powerhouse. You'll thrive here if you're ambitious, collaborative, and unfazed by scale—think the student who juggles hackathons, internships at nearby NASA Goddard, and tailgates with 30,000 undergrads. The Terps personality pulses with relentless energy: pragmatic innovators who code apps for social good or rally for ACC-turned-Big Ten hoops glory. But tradeoffs hit hard in College Park's large-suburb bubble, 10 miles from DC—campus feels like a self-contained universe with endless resources, yet you might crave the urban pulse or intimate seminars found at smaller publics like UVA.
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In UMD's classrooms, expect a mix of massive lectures in A.V. Williams for intro CS and hands-on labs dissecting satellite data from the Space Systems Lab, where undergrads build CubeSats launched by NASA partners. The Clark School of Engineering dominates with fire protection engineering—the world's only undergrad program—and computer science surges ahead, powering joint institutes with the National Institute of Standards on quantum info science. Proximity to federal agencies means freshmen snag research gigs via the Gemstone Honors Program, though the 18:1 ratio means TAs handle much advising, and weeding-out curves in STEM can crush GPAs. Intellectual culture buzzes with seminar debates at the Hinman CEOs series, but you'll navigate bureaucracy to access top profs.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
31,133 undergrad • 10,592 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
38%
Black / African American
12%
Hispanic / Latino
9%
Asian
20%
Other / Multi-racial
20%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
College Park, MD
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week kicks off with Monday yoga in the Eppley Recreation Center (bigger than some pro arenas), segues to Thursday Testudo statue rubbings for exam luck, and peaks at Friday football bonfires against Michigan. Campus life throbs with 800+ clubs—from Terp Thon raising $1M yearly for kids' hospitals—to a Greek scene claiming 15% of undergrads, fostering lifelong networks amid diverse dorm quads like North Campus's co-ed high-rises. Vibe skews outgoing and achievement-hungry, with free shuttles whisking you to DC bars or Smithsonian dates, but challenges lurk: brutal DC-area traffic isolates the suburb, winter slush turns paths to ice rinks, and sheer size breeds fleeting friendships unless you commit to a living-learning community.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Big Ten Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
96%
4 Years Graduation Rate
73%
6 Years Graduation Rate
85%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$82,860
96% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of Maryland-College Park and return in the fall. 73% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 85% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
73%
4-5 years
12%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
14%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$9,695
Acceptance
45%
Undergrads
31,133
4-Year Grad Rate
73%
Endowment
$1.0B
College Park, MD 20742