Working full-time employees and stay-at-home parents can continue their studies through some of the top-ranked online colleges in Maryland. The online colleges in Maryland feature some of the best associate, bachelor, master and doctorate degrees anywhere in the country. Maryland has a mix of the major public universities and smaller private schools. The Maryland Distance Education Association (MDLA) is another major initiative promoting high-quality online education.
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Online education in Maryland advances due to the Maryland Community College Online Consortium. Maryland promotes several initiatives to enhance online learning for students. As a result, many online colleges in Maryland are highly accessible and up-to-date. Maryland’s demonstrated commitment to making distance learning more accessible and technologically innovative makes online college a worthwhile investment for many.
The top-ranked online colleges in Maryland provide the same quality of education as in the classroom. As part of our list, we look at the quality of the program, graduation rate, job placement, and tuition costs. The graduation rate is the student’s ability graduate within four years of starting school. Each of these qualities helps determine how well a student will succeed by enrolling in a Maryland online program in the U.S. Looking for the best colleges in Maryland?
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 2 | University of Baltimore | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 3 | University of Maryland- College Park | College Park, Maryland |
| 4 | Loyola University Maryland | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 5 | Washington Adventist University | Takoma Park, Maryland |
Here are the Top-ranked online colleges in Maryland:
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Notre Dame of Maryland University has a small selection of online degrees available for undergraduate and graduate students. Those degrees include a bachelor of nursing, bachelor of business, M.S. in business analytics, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations. The online programs that the school offers include specializations in business, education, analytics, and risk management.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University continues the educational tradition and social justice. NDMA currently offers certificate, undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. programs for all students.
School Overview
University of Baltimore
If you’re looking at colleges in Baltimore, Maryland, consider the University of Baltimore. The University of Baltimore offers program subjects in business, information systems, and design. Many of the courses are also available in a hybrid (a combination of face-to-face teaching and online learning) and web-based (online activities supplement classroom activities) formats. As for fully available programs available online, there are only 5. Those include Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (upper-level business requirements only), Graduate Certificate in User Experience (UX) Design, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration, and Master of Science in Interaction Design and Information Architecture.
The University of Baltimore, established in 1925, has over 6,000 students enrolled at four academic colleges. UB is one the top-ranked online colleges for its tuition cost and the level of coursework and job placement at graduation.
School Overview
University of Maryland- College Park
The University of Maryland in College Park concentrates in public health. The university offers online degrees to working employees who want to further their career. The school offers a master’s degree in public health practice and policy and principles of public health certificate fully online. Students are required to participate in group discussions and chat forums with their classmates. The courses are designed to follow the standards of traditional classrooms.
The University of Maryland, College Park is located outside Washington D.C. and is the campus of the University System of Maryland founded in 1856. UMD has over 38,000 students today from around the world.
School Overview
Loyola University Maryland
Loyola University Maryland only has graduate degrees available online. Degrees in Montessori Education, Teaching, Education, Psychology, Emerging Media, Liberal Studies, Business, and Data Science are a few of the programs available online. Courses for other degrees are available, but full programs are not an option.
Loyola University Maryland, founded in 1852, is a Jesuit Catholic university. Located in downtown Baltimore, Loyola is committed to the traditions of the Society of Jesus. Loyola is one of the leading national liberal arts colleges.
School Overview
Washington Adventist University
Washington Adventist University provides flexibility for students who want to choose when and where they do their school work. There are 11 different programs offered in the evenings made for individuals who work full-time. The school is opened to those of all faiths looking to pursue a degree. Their schools include health professions, science, wellness, arts, and social studies. These schools offer students the tools they need to pursue and exceed in their future dream jobs.
Established in 1904, the school is owned by the 7th-day Adventist church.
School Overview
Mount Saint Mary’s University
Established in 1808 as a Catholic University, Mount Saint Mary’s University is a faith-based college to help students learn more about themselves. You will learn leadership skills and how to really interact with those around you making it an ideal place to further yourself as a person. Knowing that adults have busy lives, here at Mount Saint Mary’s their goal is to make the classes easy and stress-free. The degrees include accounting, business, criminal justice, elementary/special education, and human services.
School Overview
Stevenson University
Stevenson University’s online programs are designed for people who are looking to advance or change their careers by earning a degree in one of the many fields listed below. Applicants bring prior work experience and at least 15 transferable college-level credits to our undergraduate programs. Stevenson University offers undergraduate programs in business, communication, criminal justice, interdisciplinary studies, legal studies, and nursing. Not to mention, nine online degrees are available for graduate students.
Formerly known as the Villa Julie College, Stevenson University started in the 1940s. The university is a private, coeducational institution located in the Greenspring Valley of Baltimore County.
School Overview
Bethel University
Bethel University’s online courses are made to help students balance their career, school, and life. They are offered in a variety of ways from entirely online, mixed online and on campus, and online with a couple week-long on-campus intensives. The undergrad programs include science, business management, Christian ministries, human services, management information systems, nursing, and leadership. There are several more graduate degrees that students can get which go along with most of the undergraduate degrees. Some of these include doctor of nursing, MBA, and nurse educator.
Established in 1891, Bethel concentrates on teaching from a Christian perspective.
School Overview
Goucher College
Goucher College’s graduate programs started in the early to mid-1990s. Each program is unique, and therefore technology and training needs vary. Online and hybrid graduate programs for an MA in Arts Administration, Environmental Studies, Digital Arts, Cultural Sustainability, Education, Management, Historic Preservation, and Creative Nonfiction
Originally formed as the Woman’s College of Baltimore in 1885, Goucher changed its name in 1910. GC is known as an innovative liberal arts college. The school offers 33 majors to its students.
School Overview
Towson University
Towson University only offers one undergraduate degree online, but they offer over a dozen different graduate degrees online. An undergraduate degree in allied health, graduate degrees in nursing, applied information technology, autism studies, and Kinesiology highlight the courses available online. Towson University is not authorized to offer its services in Puerto Rico and Wisconsin. However, residents of these countries may enroll in online courses if they are a resident of Maryland or are in a face-to-face Towson University course.
Back in 1866, TU was started by a group of teachers. Today, TU is one of the largest public universities in Maryland. The university has 20,000 students and provides over 100-degree programs reaching 8 academic colleges.
School Overview
Frostburg State University
Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland started providing online classes in 2003. Since then, the state school has become one of the best Maryland online colleges and offers hundreds of classes and six-degree programs. Frostburg has over 50 programs available for its students.
Frostburg State University has grown to an enrollment of over 5,600 students. FSU is a public university and has a student-centered teaching and learning institution located on a 260-acre campus in Frostburg, Maryland.
School Overview
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University comes out as one of the top-ranked online colleges this year. JHU has over 240 programs available online for students interested in a certificate, associate, bachelor, or graduate degree. Most of the programs are available either entirely or partially online through JHU. Programs include bioinformatics, data analysis, communications, biology, and business. Specifically, there are 6 Bachelors, 46 Masters, and 9 Doctoral programs completely available online.
Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, is one of the nation’s best research universities in the US.
School Overview
University of Maryland University College
The University of Maryland University College provides a wide variety of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and certificate programs online. Associate’s degrees are available for military members of the armed forces. Associate’s degrees include criminal justice. Baccalaureate degrees include laboratory management. Master’s degree options include digital forensics. If you’re interested in working in community colleges in Maryland, doctoral degree offerings include community college administration. Certifications available include computer networking.
The University of Maryland University College, established in 1947, enrolls more than 90,000 students and offers over 120 academic programs, making it one of the world’s largest universities.
School Overview
Research Method:
This list draws from the top-ranked online colleges in Maryland. The number of online programs make up 50 percent of each school’s score, with the graduation rate and tuition cost evenly making up the other 50 percent.
We know that finding the best school to fit your unique needs is a huge challenge. For that reason, we work hard to develop lists of the best schools based on the characteristics most important for you. Whether that be the cost of attendance, student success, resources available, the flexibility of schedule, or any other number of important factors, we’ve got you covered. For more information about our ranking process and to find lists of schools based on specific characteristics, check out our methodology page.
We invite schools featured and not to reach out for possible inclusion in an updated version of our top-ranked online colleges in Maryland. We’re constantly looking to recognize top-tier institutions.
