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.

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Bachelor's Only
All Alumni
RankSchool NameSchool TypeEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
% High Meaning
% STEM Degrees
Rank:1School Name:United States Naval AcademySchool Type:Engineering, Liberal Arts School, Sober School, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$94,200Mid-Career Pay:$181,500% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:53%
Rank:2School Name:Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool Type:Private School, Research UniversityEarly Career Pay:$84,200Mid-Career Pay:$142,300% High Meaning:55%% STEM Degrees:35%
Rank:3School Name:Loyola University MarylandSchool Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$72,900Mid-Career Pay:$139,600% High Meaning:45%% STEM Degrees:10%
Rank:4School Name:University of Maryland-College ParkSchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$76,500Mid-Career Pay:$134,700% High Meaning:49%% STEM Degrees:40%
Rank:5School Name:Capitol Technology UniversitySchool Type:Engineering, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$87,700Mid-Career Pay:$134,600% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:88%
Rank:6School Name:St. John's College (Maryland)School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$64,300Mid-Career Pay:$126,500% High Meaning:66%% STEM Degrees:0%
Rank:7School Name:University of Maryland-Baltimore CountySchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$72,000Mid-Career Pay:$121,200% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:48%
Rank:8School Name:St. Mary's College of MarylandSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$64,300Mid-Career Pay:$118,200% High Meaning:51%% STEM Degrees:23%
Rank:9School Name:Mount St. Mary's UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$60,800Mid-Career Pay:$116,400% High Meaning:43%% STEM Degrees:14%
Rank:10School Name:McDaniel CollegeSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$61,100Mid-Career Pay:$115,400% High Meaning:60%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:11School Name:Stevenson UniversitySchool Type:Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$61,500Mid-Career Pay:$115,200% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:16%
Rank:12School Name:University of Maryland Global CampusSchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$67,800Mid-Career Pay:$115,100% High Meaning:60%% STEM Degrees:28%
Rank:13School Name:Goucher CollegeSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$60,600Mid-Career Pay:$112,900% High Meaning:45%% STEM Degrees:9%
Rank:14School Name:Washington Adventist UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$64,600Mid-Career Pay:$112,400% High Meaning:69%% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:15School Name:Towson UniversitySchool Type:For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$62,700Mid-Career Pay:$111,700% High Meaning:50%% STEM Degrees:18%
Rank:16School Name:Frostburg State UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$61,100Mid-Career Pay:$109,100% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:13%
Rank:17School Name:University of Maryland, BaltimoreSchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$72,300Mid-Career Pay:$109,000% High Meaning:74%% STEM Degrees:2%
Rank:18School Name:Washington CollegeSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$60,700Mid-Career Pay:$103,400% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:24%
Rank:19School Name:Salisbury UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$61,400Mid-Career Pay:$103,000% High Meaning:54%% STEM Degrees:12%
Rank:20School Name:University of BaltimoreSchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$63,300Mid-Career Pay:$100,400% High Meaning:57%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:21School Name:Maryland Institute College of ArtSchool Type:Art, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$62,100Mid-Career Pay:$99,300% High Meaning:34%% STEM Degrees:0%
Rank:22School Name:University of Maryland Eastern ShoreSchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$57,900Mid-Career Pay:$98,300% High Meaning:66%% STEM Degrees:20%
Rank:23School Name:Bowie State UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$59,200Mid-Career Pay:$96,500% High Meaning:65%% STEM Degrees:13%
Rank:24School Name:Notre Dame of Maryland UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$58,200Mid-Career Pay:$96,400% High Meaning:64%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:25School Name:Morgan State UniversitySchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$63,100Mid-Career Pay:$92,200% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:26%

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College Student

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.