University of Maryland–University College Reviews and Ranking Awards

Overview of University of Maryland–University College

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Students who seek a bachelor's degree can pursue business, cyber security, healthcare, computer science, liberal arts, or public safety. Under each of those academic areas, U of M offers a comprehensive array of degree options. For instance, they offer three different focuses in their degrees for cyber security students: Computer Networks, Management and Policy, and Software Development. At the graduate level, the options multiply.

Since all of the classes take place online, students and faculty alike are able to continue working in their field. Faculty members also are more than part-time instructors. In fact, 88% of the faculty hold terminal degrees, which more often than not means a PhD.

Where many online universities sprang up once Internet technology could support them, the Global Campus has a long history of providing adult education. This institution has been around for over 70 years. Thus, there is a rich culture of faculty and administrators who understand the needs of adult learners.

Top Rankings For University of Maryland–University College

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Admissions

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Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

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The cost of an education from this online institution is quite reasonable. Full-time, in-state Marylanders can take courses at a terrific rate of only $7,500. They do post estimates for room and board, but students can choose to live wherever they like. Nevertheless, the estimated living costs for a full-time online student who takes full-time classes at the Global Campus are around $21,000.

Meanwhile, students whose state of residence is not Maryland must pay a higher full-time tuition of $12,000. Their living costs are subject to their local area, however. Thus, they could pay the highest rents in a city like New York or San Francisco or have an exceptionally low cost of living in a place like Alaska.

To offset the cost of their education, 35% of full-time freshmen students receive aid in the form of grants or scholarships. The average interest-free aid package is $4,600. Students also apply for federal or private student loans at a rate of 23% with each student borrowing an average of $7,200.

Sticker Price

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Academics

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Though many assume otherwise, statistics show that online academics are as strong as traditional ways of educating undergrads. Given that the University of Maryland's Global campus has a rich tradition of educating adult learners and other non-traditional undergraduates, it's no surprise that they have strong numbers to speak for their academic program. In fact, the school boasts a 53% retention rate for its first-year students. Considering that online education requires a new level of personal commitment and dedication, this is stellar. The graduation rate for Global Campus students is 15% but another 39% transfer to other institutions. Thus, over half of students graduate from college somewhere.

These numbers are surely supported by the favorable class sizes, which average 19 per course. While other schools may have better-looking ratios, an online student never needs to wait behind other students to ask a question after class and can fire off an emailed question whenever is convenient. Thus, every student receives terrific attention, no matter if they are at the higher or lower end of the class size average.

Student Population Total

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Outcome & Salary

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Global Campus students put a lot of time, effort, and money into their education. After all that, they want to see a return on investment (ROI) that makes it all worthwhile, in a financial sense. Most do see a great ROI in that the post-graduation salary range for alumni ranges from $33,000 to $63,000.

At the top end of the salary ladder are the information science graduates, who start their careers earning around $63,000. Of the top-ten earning degrees, the lower earners are General Legal Studies students who start their work lives with a base salary of $47,000. Of course, these figures will rise as students gain experience. Furthermore, since the Global Campus is fully accredited, alumni can continue their education with a graduate degree on the virtual Global Campus or elsewhere.

Photos & Videos

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