Best Private Colleges in Maryland 2024

Badge for BEST IN MARYLAND PRIVATE COLLEGES

Published: Mar 26, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 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.

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

Stevenson University 84%
Loyola University Maryland 83%
McDaniel College 82%
Mount St. Mary's University 80%
Goucher College 80%
Hood College 78%
Washington College 75%
Notre Dame of Maryland University 70%
Washington Adventist University 51%
St. John's College, Annapolis 50%

Stevenson University 15 to 1
Mount St. Mary's University 13 to 1
Loyola University Maryland 13 to 1
McDaniel College 12 to 1
Hood College 11 to 1
Washington College 9 to 1
St. John's College, Annapolis 8 to 1
Notre Dame of Maryland University 8 to 1
Goucher College 7 to 1
Washington Adventist University 6 to 1

Johns Hopkins University $60,480
Loyola University Maryland $53,430
Washington College $52,481
Goucher College $49,220
McDaniel College $46,800
Mount St. Mary's University $45,870
Hood College $44,500
Notre Dame of Maryland University $40,730
Stevenson University $38,738
St. John's College, Annapolis $37,260

Johns Hopkins University $60,480
St. John's College, Annapolis $19,692
Loyola University Maryland $18,900
Mount St. Mary's University $13,899
Goucher College $13,185
Notre Dame of Maryland University $11,889
Washington Adventist University $11,160
McDaniel College $9,666
Hood College $9,000
Stevenson University $8,340

St. John's College, Annapolis
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Mount St. Mary's University
Stevenson University
Hood College
Washington Adventist University
McDaniel College
Washington College
Goucher College
Loyola University Maryland

St. John's College, Annapolis
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Washington Adventist University
Stevenson University
Hood College
Mount St. Mary's University
McDaniel College
Loyola University Maryland
Washington College
Goucher College

Johns Hopkins University 7%
St. John's College, Annapolis 50%
Washington Adventist University 51%
Notre Dame of Maryland University 70%
Washington College 75%
Hood College 78%
Goucher College 80%
Mount St. Mary's University 80%
McDaniel College 82%
Loyola University Maryland 83%

Washington Adventist University 6 to 1
Johns Hopkins University 6 to 1
Goucher College 7 to 1
St. John's College, Annapolis 8 to 1
Notre Dame of Maryland University 8 to 1
Washington College 9 to 1
Hood College 11 to 1
McDaniel College 12 to 1
Mount St. Mary's University 13 to 1
Loyola University Maryland 13 to 1

Washington Adventist University $25,200
St. John's College, Annapolis $37,260
Stevenson University $38,738
Notre Dame of Maryland University $40,730
Hood College $44,500
Mount St. Mary's University $45,870
McDaniel College $46,800
Goucher College $49,220
Washington College $52,481
Loyola University Maryland $53,430

Stevenson University $8,340
Hood College $9,000
McDaniel College $9,666
Washington Adventist University $11,160
Notre Dame of Maryland University $11,889
Goucher College $13,185
Mount St. Mary's University $13,899
Loyola University Maryland $18,900
St. John's College, Annapolis $19,692
Johns Hopkins University $60,480

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.

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

Methodology

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.