Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Maryland offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.
The Old Line State has 46 colleges and universities, 30 of which are public and 16 of which are private. The United States Naval Academy offers programs in physical sciences, aeronautical engineering, and naval architecture. The largest private institution, Johns Hopkins University, has just over 24,000 students and a tuition rate of $54,000. Located in Baltimore, this research university is known for its science and medical discoveries.
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The University of Maryland in College Park boasts over 35,000 students with a price tag of $11,000. The school has 15 campuses, and students can choose from areas of study like criminal justice, communications, physics, and sociology. The most affordable school in the state, Baltimore City Community College comes in at $3,000 and has 37 associate degree programs to choose from. Maryland also provides loan forgiveness programs for its residents, including those for dentists and public servants. Students can also check out the Maryland SmartBuy Home Buyer Assistance and Forgiveness Program, where eligible applicants can receive up to 15% of the home purchase price toward outstanding student loan, to be paid off as part of closing.
Maryland is a state bursting with history, from its numerous museums to its historic battlegrounds. Students who attend school in Maryland can explore the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park and walk the same streets as many influential Marylanders, including Francis Scott Key, Babe Ruth, Billie Holiday, and Thurgood Marshall.
Whether you’re looking to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, Maryland offers its students history, legacy, and numerous degree paths.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified a total of 18 liberal arts colleges and universities in Maryland, 12 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the best liberal arts schools in the state satisfies the following four conditions:
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call “Concentrated Influence”. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence.
Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
90%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1350/29
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United States Naval Academy’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
66%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/25
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Goucher College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
72%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/25
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St. Mary's College of Maryland’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$48K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
72%
Student body
1K
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Washington College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$51K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
81%
Student body
5K
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Loyola University Maryland’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
63%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1095/21
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Mount St. Mary's University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
63%
Student body
2K
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McDaniel College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$42K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
61%
Student body
2K
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Hood College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
66%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/29
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Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
69%
Student body
8K
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Salisbury University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
49%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/21
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Notre Dame of Maryland University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
62%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/21
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Stevenson University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
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