2024 Best Colleges for Middle-Class Students in the Baltimore Area

• Baltimore, MD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  1,395 reviews

Sophomore: Hopkins is great! There's always something to do - lots of student organisations, interesting classes, events, parties and places to go to in Baltimore. Labs are very open to taking on undergraduate research assistants. It is more of a struggle narrowing down potential activities to what I can manage than to find things to fill my time. Classes are interesting and a wide range is available. However, some of them are definitely challenging and take up quite a lot of time! It is also difficult to get and maintain a high GPA in most classes because everyone is super smart. Food options are not bad, it varies from time to time and depends on which dining hall but I'm mostly happy with it, and Baltimore has great food options. Dorms are also relatively clean and have good facilities. A disadvantage about Hopkins is the safety around campus, it is mostly safe but sometimes there are robberies or burglaries near campus.... Read 1,395 reviews

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 8%

• Net price $20,680

• SAT range 1470-1560

• 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

• 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  3,409 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 3,409 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  516 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 516 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,783

• SAT range —

• Baltimore, MD•

• 2 Year

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  1,349 reviews

Alum: I recently graduated from the HVAC and Energy Technology program at CCBC. Throughout my time at CCBC, I had the opportunity to grow my skillset in the field through both classroom and hands-on experience. I was able to have flexibility and fit my coursework into my schedule while working full time. Many courses had an online option, which was great! There were, of course, classes that needed to be taken 'in person', but they also had flexible course offerings (evenings, etc.). I had a great experience at CCBC!... Read 1,349 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $7,639

• SAT range —