More selective than 4% 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 $25,941. College Scorecard.
Higher than 12% of Maryland colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 8% of Maryland colleges we cover and 34% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UMES acceptance rate & admissions
Of 8,032 applicants, University of Maryland Eastern Shore admitted 7,258 and 728 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UMES 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 UMES costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Maryland Eastern Shore took 4.6 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 | $9,914 | $45,406 | 4.1 years |
| $30–48k | $11,858 | $54,310 | 5.0 years |
| $48–75k | $13,910 | $63,708 | 5.8 years |
| $75–110k | $17,847 | $81,739 | 7.5 years |
| $110k+ | $20,757 | $95,067 | 8.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (19% 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 ($47,697) minus $36,731 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,966 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.
UMES majors, earnings & careers
University of Maryland Eastern Shore offers 34 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Engineering · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at UMES
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $89,918 | $31,000 |
| Accounting | $78,413 | $24,750 |
| Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other | $77,899 | — |
| Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $72,630 | — |
| Air Transportation | $62,080 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $58,580 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $56,691 | $27,000 |
| Hospitality Management | $52,883 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 34 majors
- Accounting$78,413
- Agricultural Business—
- Agriculture—
- Air Transportation$62,080
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$58,580
- Business Administration$56,691
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians$72,630
- Computer and Information Sciences$89,918
- Criminal Justice$52,398
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other$77,899
- English$48,475
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$43,492
- Finance—
- Forestry—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Hospitality Management$52,883
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$43,603
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$45,876
- Music—
- Psychology—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$51,554
- Sociology$46,314
- Special Education—
— 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 →Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Hospitality Management → Lodging manager
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Salisbury
Overall prices in the Salisbury, MD area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,144. Housing costs 13% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 8 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: coastal flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Somerset County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Somerset County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UMES 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 Eastern Shore | 96% | $13,338 | 35% | $47,697 | This school |
| Frostburg State University | 89% | $16,715 | 50% | $55,493 | |
| University of Baltimore | 79% | $13,868 | 38% | $61,335 | |
| Bowie State University | 72% | $19,298 | 38% | $54,537 | |
| Salisbury University | 87% | $17,743 | 68% | $61,515 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Maryland Eastern Shore would cost you $3,377 less per year than Frostburg State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$1,866).
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore gives aided families $2,262 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maryland resident | UMES | Frostburg State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,076 | $10,220 | −$1,144 |
| Books & supplies | $2,020 | $1,500 | +$520 |
| Housing & meals | $10,636 | $12,502 | −$1,866 |
| Personal & travel | $5,000 | $3,056 | +$1,944 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$791 | −$222 | −$569 |
| Sticker price | $25,941 | $27,056 | −$1,115 |
| Average grants | −$12,603 | −$10,341 | −$2,262 |
| You pay | $13,338 | $16,715 | −$3,377 |
“+” means UMES 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 UMES
What is the UMES acceptance rate?
University of Maryland Eastern Shore accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,258 of 8,032 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of Maryland Eastern Shore cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,941 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,338 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,914 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,757.
How much do UMES graduates earn?
Former University of Maryland Eastern Shore students earn a median $47,697 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UMES graduation rate?
35% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year.
How long does a UMES degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Maryland Eastern Shore costs about $63,708 after grants ($13,910 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,697 ten years after starting, $10,966 more than high school graduates in Maryland ($36,731), so the cost is repaid in 5.8 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is UMES the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing UMES with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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 Eastern Shore: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maryland-eastern-shore (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).