Best Colleges in Maryland by Salary Potential
You want your investments to pay off, and that includes a bachelor’s degree. Check out this list of Maryland’s top universities by alumni salary.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: at Annapolis_50px.png) United States Naval Academy | School Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Sober School, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$94,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$181,500 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:53% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Johns Hopkins University | School Type:Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$84,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$142,300 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:35% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Loyola University Maryland | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$72,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$139,600 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: University of Maryland-College Park | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$76,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$134,700 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:40% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: Capitol Technology University | School Type:Engineering, Private School | Early Career Pay:$87,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$134,600 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:88% |
| Rank:6 | School Name:St. John's College (Maryland) | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$64,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$126,500 | % High Meaning:66% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: University of Maryland-Baltimore County | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$72,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$121,200 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:48% |
| Rank:8 | School Name:St. Mary's College of Maryland | School Type:Liberal Arts School, State School | Early Career Pay:$64,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$118,200 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:9 | School Name:Mount St. Mary's University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$60,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$116,400 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: McDaniel College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$61,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$115,400 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Stevenson University | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$61,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$115,200 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:12 | School Name:_50px.png) University of Maryland Global Campus | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$67,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$115,100 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:Goucher College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$60,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$112,900 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:14 | School Name:Washington Adventist University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$64,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$112,400 | % High Meaning:69% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Towson University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$62,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,700 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Frostburg State University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$61,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$109,100 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: University of Maryland, Baltimore | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$72,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$109,000 | % High Meaning:74% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:18 | School Name:Washington College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$60,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,400 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:24% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: Salisbury University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$61,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,000 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:12% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: University of Baltimore | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$63,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$100,400 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: Maryland Institute College of Art | School Type:Art, Private School | Early Career Pay:$62,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$99,300 | % High Meaning:34% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: University of Maryland Eastern Shore | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$57,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$98,300 | % High Meaning:66% | % STEM Degrees:20% |
| Rank:23 | School Name:_50px.png) Bowie State University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$59,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$96,500 | % High Meaning:65% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: Notre Dame of Maryland University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$58,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$96,400 | % High Meaning:64% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:25 | School Name: Morgan State University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$63,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$92,200 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:26% |
Some of the most notable colleges in Maryland are the University of Maryland and Loyola University, but the real strength lies in that little branch of the military we call the Navy.
The United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis is often among the best four-year college in Maryland by earning potential, as graduates from here who move into the civilian workforce report a high median early career salary. USNA grads are also likely to earn a good salary after being in the workforce for at least 10 years.
If the military isn’t quite your fit, Loyola University and Johns Hopkins University graduates also earn a median mid-career salary around $100,000.
Maryland Institute College of Art graduates usually start their careers with a low early career median salary. These graduates are also likely to earn the least after working for at least 10 years. And they frequently have the fewest graduates reporting that their work is meaningful.
By factoring in students who go on to earn graduate degrees, we see slight increases in salary across all measures across the board.
Over at Johns Hopkins, a healthy percentage of grads believe their jobs make the world a better place.
Fittingly, many graduates from Maryland’s colleges go on to work in careers in the Aerospace and Defense, Energy and Sustainability, Life Sciences, IT and Cybersecurity, and Manufacturing industries. Who knows what project you could be working on next.