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Summary
University of Maryland--College Park is a public institution that was founded in 1856. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,775, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,250 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Maryland--College Park's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 58. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,908 (2012-13); out-of-state tuition and fees are $27,287 (2012-13).
Located between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, the University of Maryland offers students a suburban lifestyle within easy reach of big-city experiences. The flagship campus in College Park, which has its own subway stop on the D.C.-area Metro transit system, is often considered a commuter school. Accordingly, freshmen do not have to live on campus. There are more than 500 clubs and organizations on campus, including about 35 fraternities and sororities that involve approximately 15 percent of the student population. Students looking for additional activities can visit the university’s “Free Stuff @ Maryland” website, which offers a comprehensive listing of presentations, events, and movie screenings with no admission charges. Sports also offer year-long distractions, as the Maryland Terrapins are notorious competitors in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. The mascot, Testudo, is a Diamondback terrapin—a species of turtle that is the official state reptile. One of several Testudo sculptures on campus sits in front of the graduate library, , and rubbing its nose is thought to bring good luck, particularly before exams.
The University of Maryland has a highly ranked graduate program in education and the noted A. James Clark School of Engineering, as well as well-regarded offerings through the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The university regularly earns accolades for its sustainable and clean energy initiatives, such as its plan to be carbon neutral by 2050 and campus-wide efforts to compost dining hall waste. Famous Maryland alumni span the professional spectrum and include NASA scientist Charles Bennett, broadcast journalist Connie Chung, and Sesame Street and The Muppet Show creator Jim Henson.
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As the State's flagship, the University of Maryland (UMD) strives to bring students deeply into the process of discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. Whenever possible, hands-on research complements classroom instruction. Interdisciplinary collaborations facilitate the understanding of complex problems like cybersecurity and climate change, and international study and diversity help our graduates become global citizens. Its location inside Washington, D.C.'s Beltway, along with its own Metro stop, gives students numerous opportunities to work with neighboring federal agencies and labs, think tanks and foreign organizations. The faculty includes Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and members of the National Academies. Students learn from world class experts and share classes with high-achieving students. In 2011, a team of students and faculty built the winning home in the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon, an elite international competition. In 2011, UMD students set a world record for human-powered helicopter flight. Student rotorcraft and robotics teams regularly take top national honors in competition. Undergraduates select from more than 100 majors and 25 living-learning programs (an idea UMD helped pioneer). The Honors College challenges the most talented students in small seminars with like-minded classmates. The Federal Semester program combines targeted studies with internships that pair students and government policy-makers. Research partnerships with U.S. agencies, such as the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, NOAA, NASA, FDA and NIST, open additional internship opportunities. New strategic collaborations with the University of Maryland, Baltimore's five professional schools will boost educational opportunities, research and special combined degree programs. UMD's entrepreneurial faculty provide leadership in pivotal fields such as climate change, national security, foreign languages, nanotechnology, advanced battery research, health care IT (a field that may revolutionize medical services), food safety and quantum physics (the lab, headed by a Nobel laureate, is one of the most advanced in the world). Since the 60's, researchers at UMD have partnered with NASA to conduct space missions, including Voyagers I and II and the recent pioneering Deep Impact missions to nearby comets. UMD researchers are heavily involved in the environmental and economic restoration of the nearby Chesapeake Bay. Only nine miles (a short ride on Metro) from the White House, the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives, and near the metropolitan and educational attractions of Baltimore, the lush 1,250 acre campus mixes advanced labs and educational facilities with state-of-the-art recreational opportunities. With its 9,000 trees, UMD is designated an arboretum and botanical garden. The U.S. EPA has recognized UMD as one of the nation's most sustainable campuses. For the past four years, UMD has been recognized for providing outstanding education at an affordable price. UMD's financial aid programs work overtime to maintain affordability: one provides a zero-debt-at-graduation opportunity for students from poverty-level circumstances, while another caps the accumulated debt at graduation for seniors from moderate income families. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1856 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2011 Endowment | $417,466,447 |
Applying
When applying to University of Maryland--College Park, it's important to note the application deadline is January 20, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due November 1. The application fee at University of Maryland--College Park is $65. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 44.7 percent and an early acceptance rate of 54.8 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 44.7% |
| Application deadline | January 20 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | November 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of Maryland--College Park is 18:1, and the school has 34.7 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Maryland--College Park include: Criminology; Accounting; Economics, General; Psychology, General; and Speech Communication and Rhetoric. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 94.2 percent.
Student Life
University of Maryland--College Park has a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,775, with a gender distribution of 53.0 percent male students and 47.0 percent female students. At this school, 44.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 56.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Maryland--College Park is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at University of Maryland--College Park.
| Total enrollment | 37,580 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
University of Maryland--College Park offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Maryland--College Park also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at University of Maryland--College Park, 47 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of Maryland--College Park.
| Students who have cars on campus | 47% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At University of Maryland--College Park, 40.5 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $6,784.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $8,908 (2012-13) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $27,287 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $9,893 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
