More selective than 35% of Maryland colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $65,294. College Scorecard.
Higher than 46% of Maryland colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 40% of Maryland colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
McDaniel College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,856 applicants, McDaniel College admitted 3,223 and 424 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
McDaniel College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What McDaniel College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of McDaniel College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Maryland. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,210 | $50,672 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $17,261 | $71,633 | 3.0 years |
| $48–75k | $19,796 | $82,153 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $21,408 | $88,843 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $30,694 | $127,380 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (56% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($60,663) minus $36,731 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,932 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
McDaniel College majors, earnings & careers
McDaniel College offers 37 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Science & Math · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Education · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at McDaniel College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $93,347 | $24,210 |
| Business Administration | $78,830 | $25,000 |
| Communications | $65,411 | $25,000 |
| Psychology | $60,264 | $25,662 |
| Sociology | $55,851 | $25,000 |
| Biology | $51,307 | $21,375 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $50,185 | $25,697 |
| Social Work | $47,607 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 37 majors
- Accounting$93,347
- American Sign Language—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$51,307
- Business Administration$78,830
- Chemistry—
- Communications$65,411
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Film and Photography—
- German—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,185
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$60,264
- Publishing—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$47,607
- Sociology$55,851
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Baltimore
Overall prices in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,006. Housing costs 18% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 28 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Carroll County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Carroll County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare McDaniel College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Maryland by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDaniel College | 78% | $21,916 | 63% | $60,663 | This school |
| Mount St. Mary's University | 74% | $22,655 | 65% | $64,072 | |
| Hood College | 78% | $20,873 | 57% | $57,089 | |
| Goucher College | 78% | $22,470 | 57% | $53,023 | |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | 77% | $42,729 | 72% | $45,212 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
McDaniel College would cost you $739 less per year than Mount St. Mary's University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at McDaniel College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,451).
- McDaniel College gives aided families $2,302 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maryland resident | McDaniel College | Mount St. Mary's University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $52,081 | $48,630 | +$3,451 |
| Books & supplies | $1,450 | $950 | +$500 |
| Housing & meals | $12,594 | $14,750 | −$2,156 |
| Personal & travel | $2,454 | $1,800 | +$654 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,285 | −$2,399 | −$886 |
| Sticker price | $65,294 | $63,731 | +$1,563 |
| Average grants | −$43,378 | −$41,076 | −$2,302 |
| You pay | $21,916 | $22,655 | −$739 |
“+” means McDaniel College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about McDaniel College
What is the McDaniel College acceptance rate?
McDaniel College accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,223 of 3,856 applicants were admitted.
How much does McDaniel College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $65,294 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,916 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,210 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,694.
How much do McDaniel College graduates earn?
Former McDaniel College students earn a median $60,663 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the McDaniel College graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a McDaniel College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at McDaniel College costs about $82,153 after grants ($19,796 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $60,663 ten years after starting, $23,932 more than high school graduates in Maryland ($36,731), so the cost is repaid in 3.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “McDaniel College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/mcdaniel-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).