More selective than 62% 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 $28,576. College Scorecard.
Higher than 73% of Maryland colleges we cover and 78% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 80% of Maryland colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UMBC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 13,150 applicants, University of Maryland-Baltimore County admitted 9,762 and 1,977 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1420 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UMBC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Maryland residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What UMBC costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Maryland-Baltimore County took 4.4 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 | $5,087 | $22,281 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $10,714 | $46,927 | 1.4 years |
| $48–75k | $16,543 | $72,458 | 2.2 years |
| $75–110k | $22,172 | $97,113 | 2.9 years |
| $110k+ | $25,439 | $111,423 | 3.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (48% 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 ($69,960) minus $36,731 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $33,229 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.
UMBC majors, earnings & careers
University of Maryland-Baltimore County offers 45 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Science & Math · 9
- Arts & Design · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Engineering · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Education · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at UMBC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $113,299 | $19,988 |
| Computer Science | $105,706 | $20,000 |
| Information Science / Studies | $95,435 | $20,633 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,078 | $21,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $91,547 | $21,570 |
| Mathematics | $88,967 | $16,875 |
| Economics | $79,729 | $21,920 |
| Biochemistry | $75,493 | $19,250 |
Quick list of all 45 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$75,493
- Biology$69,724
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration—
- Chemical Engineering$91,547
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Communications$60,957
- Computer Engineering$113,299
- Computer Science$105,706
- Dance—
- Economics$79,729
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$57,547
- Environmental Science / Conservation$55,336
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geography—
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$53,363
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$68,823
- History$56,394
- Information Science / Studies$95,435
- Information Technology$74,808
- International / Global Studies$50,400
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics$88,967
- Mechanical Engineering$95,078
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$42,289
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$64,756
- Psychology$54,039
- Social Work$58,412
- Sociology$51,421
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$35,125
- Theatre$34,778
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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 →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% 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. 51 inches of rain a year, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Baltimore County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Baltimore County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UMBC with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 72% | $16,467 | 70% | $69,960 | This school |
| Towson University | 82% | $17,413 | 69% | $64,390 | |
| Salisbury University | 87% | $17,743 | 68% | $61,515 | |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | 69% | $18,441 | 70% | $60,110 | |
| Morgan State University | 82% | $14,985 | 41% | $50,698 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Maryland-Baltimore County would cost you $946 less per year than Towson University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Maryland-Baltimore County, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$1,528).
- University of Maryland-Baltimore County gives aided families $987 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maryland resident | UMBC | Towson University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $13,256 | $11,728 | +$1,528 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $960 | +$640 |
| Housing & meals | $14,204 | $15,644 | −$1,440 |
| Personal & travel | $3,414 | $3,480 | −$66 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,898 | −$3,277 | −$621 |
| Sticker price | $28,576 | $28,535 | +$41 |
| Average grants | −$12,109 | −$11,122 | −$987 |
| You pay | $16,467 | $17,413 | −$946 |
“+” means UMBC 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 UMBC
What is the UMBC acceptance rate?
University of Maryland-Baltimore County accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 9,762 of 13,150 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1420 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
How much does University of Maryland-Baltimore County cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,576 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,467 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $5,087 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,439.
How much do UMBC graduates earn?
Former University of Maryland-Baltimore County students earn a median $69,960 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UMBC graduation rate?
70% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a UMBC degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Maryland-Baltimore County costs about $72,458 after grants ($16,543 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $69,960 ten years after starting, $33,229 more than high school graduates in Maryland ($36,731), so the cost is repaid in 2.2 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: “University of Maryland-Baltimore County: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maryland-baltimore-county (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).