2024 Best Colleges for Low-Income Students in Maryland

• College Park, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.68 out of 5  5,537 reviews

Junior: The University of Maryland is truly a place like no other. Stepping foot on campus is like walking into an alternate universe. The students are excited, the campus seems to become more beautiful everyday and the list goes on and on. I have had such an amazing experience at Maryland so far and it can all be attributed to the spirit, culture and personality of the school. All professors are willing to lend a hand whenever needed and meeting new classmates each semester will always be one of my favorite parts. The classes offered are very interesting as they range from the psychology of happiness to Brazilian cinema, you can truly do it all here. I would not change anything about my experience this far academically but one thing I would like to see is a larger presence at our football games. We have so much spirit and we should all be going to cheer the players on! Other than that University of Maryland is truly a special place!... Read 5,537 reviews

• grade A

• Acceptance rate 52%

• Net price $17,146

• SAT range 1330-1510

• Baltimore, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  2,068 reviews

Alum: I really enjoyed my time at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). I got involved in a scholars program, SGA, an LLC, and a couple of student organizations. I also attended both in-person and online during the pandemic. I think the school handled the pandemic really well. In terms of courses, my professors were all good, and kept the courses interesting. Though a lot of people do commute, there is a decent amount of things that occur for residential students. Overall, I had a great experience!... Read 2,068 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 81%

• Net price $6,912

• SAT range 1220-1410

• Rockville, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.87 out of 5  1,756 reviews

Other: One of the best community colleges out there. I am currently a dual-enrollment student and coming in, I was worried that I would get made fun of for my age, but it was the complete opposite! The friends I have made at Montgomery College truly encourage me to become the best version of myself. They push me to come out of my comfort zone and try new things. Additionally, the professors are all so sweet, understanding, and are readily available for help whenever needed. Beyond the classroom, there are a plethora of clubs to get involved in and many tutoring centers to seek assistance from. My personal favorite was the Reading and Writing Center. The coach here was very instrumental in helping me draft essays for my 4-year universities. If you are debating going to this college, think no further. Please go!... Read 1,756 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,560

• SAT range —

• St. Mary's City, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.49 out of 5  662 reviews

Sophomore: St. Mary’s College of Maryland has taught me persistence, confidence and strive to do all my accomplishments so far. It has also made me appreciate my home town. As a commuter student I can stay close to friends and family and Pursue my undergrad degree. The campus is beautiful, professors are welcoming and help myself as a student to stay on track of what I love most. Everybody is so helpful! In the psychology field I’m glad I’ve learned so much through St. Mary’s. It helped me find my career path and informed me of local jobs around me. I always brag about my college and it has brought people to come as well!... Read 662 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 77%

• Net price $20,213

• SAT range 1100-1340

• Columbia, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  755 reviews

Freshman: My experience at Howard Community college has been nothing short of a pleasant experience. This fall I started my first semester as a freshman, and after talking to friends, I believe this college is as resourceful as your average state university in terms of academics and extracurriculars. As for my personal experience, HCC is the best stepping stool I could have to make the transition from high school to university smooth and easy. So far, my most recent and exciting accomplishment at this school has been earning a spot in the SGA as senator of the academic division. I am looking forward to running for president next semester! A project in progress I am optimistic about is my progress on starting the school’s first ever women’s empowerment club. Though students have easy access to tons of opportunities and guidance at HCC, there is room for improvement. I think that the department that controls teaching should put down stricter guidelines for how the teachers here teach.... Read 755 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $10,632

• SAT range —

• Towson, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  3,412 reviews

Sophomore: Towson University has a great community with a diverse community of students. I have met many students where I have been able to stay with connected with through social media and clubs. The main thing I appreciated about Towson University was their Student affairs community. They are very helpful and accomadating for their students, especially if you need help of some sort. Attending Towson University has been an amazing eye opening expierience due to its comfortable environment and ambitious students!... Read 3,412 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 88%

• Net price $11,076

• SAT range 1040-1220

• Bel Air, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  518 reviews

Other: I attend Harford Community college as a dual enrolled student. I enjoy earring college credits in high school and saving money but signing up for classes can be difficult. It can be hard to get in touch with guidance counselors. Some English professors made the course harder than it has to be. Math test are taken using honor lock. It can be difficult to figure out how to use honor lock at first. Overall this community college isn’t bad. I’ve had opportunities to go on field trips and work with organizations like the NAACP. The college has a help center where they help students with classes. Everyone is friendly and they have events where they give out free ice cream or host yoga classes!... Read 518 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,783

• SAT range —

• Salisbury, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  276 reviews

Sophomore: My experience at Wor-Wic has been really amazing. All the teachers I have had so far love teaching. Which has made the experience a lot better for me coming back to college after years of being out of school. Relearning old things and new studies had been nice having the teachers and guidance I have been give. I am going after what I love and that’s learning science being able to go after that has been hard but so far rewarding and I know I have many more Hurdles to go through and this money would really help go towards school! And at a school I love being at!... Read 276 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,686

• SAT range —

• Westminster, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  240 reviews

Sophomore: Carroll is a great place to start your college experience. The professors, faculty, and staff really care about the success of students and want to see students transfer and achieve their dreams. Class sizes are small and so teachers are really engaged and involved with every student. The local campus is great and open with natural lighting and lots of areas for students to hangout and get homework done. The cost of tuition at Carroll Community College is cheaper, and the scholarship foundation and financial aid makes Carroll a great and affordable first start in the college experience while also fighting off the burden of student loan debt. They even have scholarships for graduating students to take with them to their transfer university! And when your scholarships and awards exceed your tuition costs, Carroll gives you the rest of the money through a check to save for your future college. Carroll Community College really cares about student success.... Read 240 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $4,740

• SAT range —

• Frostburg, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.54 out of 5  1,000 reviews

Alum: Frostburg surprised me... I went there due to sports and affordability but it was not my dream school. BUT I had the best time and really made the most of my time there. My advice is get involved on campus since there is not a tonnnn to do in the area, you want to stay busy/focused to not fall into the trap of partying too much. The city and campus have beautiful views!... Read 1,000 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 86%

• Net price $16,720

• SAT range 980-1200

• Cumberland, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  266 reviews

Alum: My overall experience at Allegany College of Maryland was great! The environment of the campus made the experience that much better. The beautiful views that each student gets to see by just simply being on campus makes it all worth it. The staff is also top-tier at Allegany because they provide any assistance needed. From help in the classroom to help with your personal life, everything you need is there.... Read 266 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $8,472

• SAT range —

• Frederick, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  474 reviews

Freshman: Growing up, I had heard many bad things about community colleges which distorted my view on the Frederick Community College. During the application process, I was greeted with friendly staff who went above and beyond to answer my questions and make the process easy for me. The campus is comfortable and well-kept making it enjoyable to walk through. The classes are small, but this allows for better relationships with fellow peers and teachers. Overall, my expectations are the only thing I regret coming into Frederick Community College.... Read 474 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $4,729

• SAT range —

• Baltimore, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  1,350 reviews

Sophomore: I love my college. They are so organized and I understand why they do what they do for students. I recently had to get out of Nursing School there though, because their Nursing School needs to do better. There is no tutoring of any source for Nursing Students when it only comes to the professors. Professors of the Nursing school don't help one on one. Just throw resources at you. It just needs to be more organized and no one wants to seem to make good change in every way for that Program. The process of changing majors, was very painless. I feel very comfortable going to my college,it's just that one program. I will continue to go because they have a great reputation with the college as a whole only. I can't see myself anywhere else. It may just be a community college,but they hold their students at a high standard. In turn, that is a good thing!... Read 1,350 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,639

• SAT range —

• Hagerstown, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  330 reviews

Other: When i decided to take a GED course at Hagerstown Community College, It was the best desision I could ever make. They are willing to help and, thanks to that program I got my GED. I'm looking forward to take credit classes this fall 2023. I wouldn't change anything from HCC it's an amazing College full of opportunities for the students. I would definetly recommend it! Their continuing education courses are amazing too!... Read 330 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,372

• SAT range —

• Wye Mills, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  280 reviews

Junior: Chesapeake was not my original plan when attending college, but I am so glad I started here! Most professors truly care about you, and there are so many things that the college's programs do to support their students. Huge shoutout to the TRIO program and the Student Engagement office! I feel as if I truly got a high-quality education for an affordable price. I am transferring to a private college after I receive my Associate's degree, and I would have never been able to afford this, or even feel as if I could achieve admittance, had I not started at Chesapeake.... Read 280 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $5,468

• SAT range —