Best Private Colleges in Maryland 2025

Badge for BEST IN MARYLAND PRIVATE COLLEGES

By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Chloe Dembski

Updated: Nov 13, 2024

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Maryland.

Key Takeaways

The best private colleges in Maryland are globally recognized for their research programs, providing students with access to cutting-edge facilities and the chance to engage in groundbreaking projects across various disciplines.
The best private colleges in Marylands emphasize small class sizes and a discussion-based curriculum, fostering close faculty-student relationships and personalized educational experiences.
Many of the colleges in our ranking are located near major urban centers like Baltimore and Washington, D.C., offering students ample internship, networking, and cultural opportunities, enhancing both their academic and professional development.

Table of Contents

10 Best Private Colleges in Maryland in 2025

Johns Hopkins University
Goucher College
+1
Loyola University Maryland
–1
Washington College
McDaniel College
Mount St. Mary's University
+3
Hood College
Stevenson University
Washington Adventist University
–3
Notre Dame of Maryland University

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the top ten schools in our ranking of the best private colleges in Maryland saw a fair amount of movement. Mount St. Mary’s University gained the most ranking positions as the university introduced a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, with the first cohort anticipated to begin in January 2026, pending accreditation approval.

Additionally, the university is expanding its athletic offerings by adding women’s flag football as a varsity sport in the 2025-26 academic year, providing new opportunities for student-athletes. These initiatives reflect Mount St. Mary’s commitment to broadening academic and extracurricular opportunities for its students.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 11 private universities in Maryland. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Maryland, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.