Best Private Colleges in Maryland 2023

Best Private Colleges in Maryland 2023

By James Barham

Published: Mar 26, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

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.

10 Best Private Colleges in Maryland

Johns Hopkins University

77%

Goucher College

42%

Loyola University Maryland

38%

Washington College

34%

McDaniel College

29%

Mount St. Mary's University

27%

27%

Stevenson University

25%

Washington Adventist University

25%

Notre Dame of Maryland University

23%

Stevenson University

91%

McDaniel College

87%

Loyola University Maryland

84%

Mount St. Mary's University

82%

Goucher College

82%

77%

Washington College

70%

Notre Dame of Maryland University

65%

Washington Adventist University

62%

St. John's College, Annapolis

53%

Stevenson University

15 to 1

Mount St. Mary's University

14 to 1

McDaniel College

13 to 1

Loyola University Maryland

12 to 1

Washington Adventist University

11 to 1

11 to 1

Goucher College

9 to 1

Washington College

9 to 1

St. John's College, Annapolis

7 to 1

Notre Dame of Maryland University

7 to 1

Johns Hopkins University

$58,720

Loyola University Maryland

$53,530

Washington College

$49,768

Goucher College

$48,200

McDaniel College

$46,336

Mount St. Mary's University

$44,750

$43,140

Notre Dame of Maryland University

$39,745

Stevenson University

$38,168

St. John's College, Annapolis

$36,170

Johns Hopkins University

$58,720

St. John's College, Annapolis

$19,116

Loyola University Maryland

$18,540

Mount St. Mary's University

$13,676

Notre Dame of Maryland University

$13,321

Washington Adventist University

$11,160

McDaniel College

$9,468

Goucher College

$9,180

$8,820

Stevenson University

$8,340

St. John's College, Annapolis

12%

Notre Dame of Maryland University

23%

Washington Adventist University

25%

Stevenson University

25%

27%

Mount St. Mary's University

27%

McDaniel College

29%

Washington College

34%

Loyola University Maryland

38%

Goucher College

42%

Johns Hopkins University

8%

St. John's College, Annapolis

53%

Washington Adventist University

62%

Notre Dame of Maryland University

65%

Washington College

70%

77%

Goucher College

82%

Mount St. Mary's University

82%

Loyola University Maryland

84%

McDaniel College

87%

Johns Hopkins University

6 to 1

St. John's College, Annapolis

7 to 1

Notre Dame of Maryland University

7 to 1

Goucher College

9 to 1

Washington College

9 to 1

Washington Adventist University

11 to 1

11 to 1

Loyola University Maryland

12 to 1

McDaniel College

13 to 1

Mount St. Mary's University

14 to 1

Washington Adventist University

$25,200

St. John's College, Annapolis

$36,170

Stevenson University

$38,168

Notre Dame of Maryland University

$39,745

$43,140

Mount St. Mary's University

$44,750

McDaniel College

$46,336

Goucher College

$48,200

Washington College

$49,768

Loyola University Maryland

$53,530

Stevenson University

$8,340

$8,820

Goucher College

$9,180

McDaniel College

$9,468

Washington Adventist University

$11,160

Notre Dame of Maryland University

$13,321

Mount St. Mary's University

$13,676

Loyola University Maryland

$18,540

St. John's College, Annapolis

$19,116

Johns Hopkins University

$58,720

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Maryland

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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.

What are Maryland’s Colleges & Universities?

Maryland’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

Maryland's Best Private Colleges and Universities Badge — Download Badge

How do we determine Maryland's best private colleges and universities?

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! 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 in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

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.

Best Private Colleges in Maryland

Build Your Own Custom College Rankings

Maryland’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.