Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Maryland

John Hopkins University was established in 1876, it is the first research university established in the United States. John Hopkins University operates a flagship campus in Baltimore and other satellite locations in the Singapore, District of Columbia, China, and Italy.

Johns Hopkins offers bachelor’s programs in courses such as marketing and communication, Africana studies, and space science and engineering. Students may pursue an entrepreneurship and management degree, focusing their studies on areas like business law and organizational behavior.

Graduate offerings include master’s degrees in applied physics, international public policy, and real estate and infrastructure. Candidates can also pursue a dual-degree track in nursing.

Admission is quite competitive, the schools require undergraduate candidates to submit school reports, an official application, ACT/SAT scores, and two teacher evaluations.

Prospective graduate students are required to have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. The university also offers generous financial aid and awards over $100 million in scholarships and grants.

The University of Maryland, College Park is the largest higher education institution in the state serving over 41,000 students. The University of Maryland offers 92 undergraduate programs, 107 master’s programs, and 83 doctoral programs.

UMD offers undergraduate majors like human development, behavioral and community health, environmental science, and supply chain management. Students can streamline their own major through the school’s individual studies program.

The school offers graduate programs in veterinary medicine, industrial/organizational psychology, and applied economics. The university also offers a master of innovative technology entrepreneurship program that prepares students to launch and grow IT ventures. UMD also offers remote learning online through Canvas.

First-year applicants are required to have an A-/B+ grade average in a high school curriculum that includes IB/AP classes and at least two years of a foreign language.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County was established in 1966 as the first public higher education institution in the state to admit students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Students can choose from 48 undergraduate and 60 graduate program offerings. Bachelor’s degree offerings include information systems, sociology, modern languages and linguistics, and computer game development. This college also offers an emergency health services program with a concentration track in management, or paramedic duties.

Graduate students can choose from master’s program offerings in intercultural communication, economic policy analysis, atmospheric physics, and biotechnology. Candidates can also choose an aging services management degree option, this program prepares them to lead nursing homes and hospice care organizations.

UMBC also delivers research-based doctoral programs in fields like geography and environmental systems, computer science, and applied mathematics.

Applicants for the undergraduate program are required to submit the Common Application, official school transcripts, two recommendation letters, and ACT/SAT scores. Graduate applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

Towson University is the largest higher education institution in the Baltimore area,  serving about 23,000 students each year. The school delivers 46 master’s, 64 undergraduate, and four doctoral programs.

Bachelor’s students can choose programs in business systems and processes, environmental science, and women’s and gender studies. Other undergraduate offerings include a business administration program with concentration tracks in marketing, legal studies, project management, and finance.

Students can augment their major studies by pursuing a complementary minor. Graduate offerings include master’s programs in actuarial science/predictive analysis and global humanities. The university also offers a doctoral program in instructional technology that can be completed entirely online.

Applicants for the undergraduate program are required to submit a 300-800 word essay and ACT/SAT scores. Graduate applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

This college charges tuition rates based on residency, there is also a number of financial aid and need-based scholarships offered by the school.

Salisbury University is a fairly large university with 8,600 students, it offers 42 undergraduate and 14 graduate programs.

SU offers bachelor’s programs in political science, accounting, conflict analysis and dispute resolution, and international business.

The majority of Salisbury University’s graduate program offerings focus on education, including master’s programs in reading specialist education and mathematics education. Students can also pursue a master’s degree in teaching, which provides an alternative path to initial teacher certification.

Undergraduate applicants with a GPA below 3.5 are required to submit ACT/SAT scores. Students can also enroll on a transfer basis if they have at least 24 credits earned with a minimum 2.0 GPA. The university offers several financial awards e.g. the Geary Scholarship for communication majors.

Washington College is located in Chestertown, the college was established in 1782; it is one of the 10 oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States. The school has a student population of about 1500, the school offers relatively affordable tuition prices and generous financial support.

The school’s academic offerings include bachelor’s programs in world languages and cultures, human development, psychology, and engineering. Washington College also offers a business management degree that students can augment with minors in finance, data analytics, and marketing.

In addition to the tracks for law and medicine, the college also offers teacher certification programs in elementary and secondary education. Students can also streamline their own majors with faculty guidance. Additionally, Washington College offers a variety of study abroad and undergraduate research opportunities.

Applicants for the undergraduate program are required to submit official transcripts, a counselor recommendation, a personal essay, and ACT or SAT scores. Graduate applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

This college charges tuition rates based on residency, there is also a number of financial aid and merit-based scholarships offered by the school.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland was established in 1840, it is one of two public honors colleges in the United States. The school serves about 1,600 students and offers about 38 academic programs.

Undergraduate students can choose majors such as computer science, public policy studies,  mathematics, and anthropology. They can also tailor their curricula through complementary minors.

Additionally, St. Mary’s allows candidates to streamline their own interdisciplinary major with the approval of two faculty members.

Applicants for the undergraduate program are required to submit official school transcripts, two teacher recommendations, and ACT/SAT scores. Graduate applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

This college charges tuition rates based on residency, there is also a number of financial aid and merit-based scholarships offered by the school.

Bowie State University was established in 1865, it is the first historically black university in Maryland.  Bowie State University currently serves about 6,200 students and delivers over 55 academic programs, including bachelor’s tracks in fine arts, sports management, computer technology, and nursing.

The university also offers a bachelor of business administration with a concentration on subfields like entrepreneurship and small business management, economics, and banking and finance.

Bowie State University provides master’s programs in management information systems and counseling psychology. RNs and BSN nurses can earn a master of science in nursing to access advanced practice roles. The school offers doctoral programs in educational leadership and computer science.

Applicants for the undergraduate program are required to have ACT or SAT scores. Graduate applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 undergraduate GPA.

Loyola University Maryland is located in Baltimore and it serves a student body of over 6,400 learners. The institution offers comprehensive academic programs grounded in the liberal arts, to prepare graduates for professional services and leadership.

Undergraduate students can choose majors in global studies, visual arts, applied mathematics, and data sciences. They can also pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication, which offers concentrations in journalism, advertising/public relations, and digital media.

Loyola also offers a dual-degree teaching program that enables students to earn their bachelor’s and master’s within five years. At the graduate level, students can choose options like speech-language pathology, modern studies, and spiritual and pastoral care. The university also facilitates online master of education programs that follow a cohort learning format.

Applicants for the undergraduate program are required to submit the Common Application, two recommendations, official high school transcripts, and ACT or SAT scores. Graduate applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

This college charges affordable tuition rates based on residency, there is also a number of financial aid and merit-based scholarships offered by the school.

Frostburg State University offers over 60 career-focused programs to support the economic development of local communities.

Frostburg State University offers 47 undergraduate majors in fields like exercise and sport science, environmental analysis and planning, and secure computing and information assurance. Students can augment their degree plans by choosing a complementary minor.

Graduate students can pursue master’s degrees in fields like school counseling, applied computer science, and athletic training. The college also offers an online MBA track accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The university also offers a doctor of educational leadership program that prepares graduates to work as school supervisors and policy specialists.

This college charges affordable tuition rates based on residency, there is also a number of financial aid and merit-based scholarships offered by the school. Students can apply for many institutional scholarships, such as the Cobey/Lane/Footen Award for outstanding student leaders.