Address: 7901 Regents Drive, 20742 College Park, Maryland, United States
Computer Science, Engineering, Public Policy
The Maryland Agricultural College was chartered on 6 March 1856 in what is now College Park, and it grew into the state’s flagship university. A fire on 29 November 1912 destroyed all dormitory rooms and half of the classrooms and offices, while Morrill Hall, built in 1898, is the oldest academic building still in use. In 1916 the state took full control and renamed the school Maryland State College of Agriculture, the College Park and Baltimore campuses were consolidated as the University of Maryland in 1920, and a 1988 reorganisation designated College Park the flagship campus.
The university enrolled 40,792 students in fall 2022, of whom 30,353 were undergraduates and 10,439 postgraduates, according to federal IPEDS data, and its website now cites more than 41,000 students, 12 colleges and schools and over 300 degree programmes. Its units include the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Robert H. Smith School of Business. A research park launched in 2004 as M Square, renamed the Discovery District in 2017, spans 150 acres.
Maryland is classed R1, and the National Science Foundation ranked it 18th among US universities for R&D expenditure in fiscal year 2023, at about $1.39 billion when counted together with the University of Maryland, Baltimore. A $219.5 million gift from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation arrived in 2017, and Darryll Pines became the first Black president in 2020. The Terrapins, with the mascot Testudo, have played in the Big Ten Conference since 2014; the men’s basketball team won the national title in 2002, and the women’s lacrosse team won its 15th national title in 2019.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Physics, Project Management, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Certificate, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Flagship of University System of Maryland. Strong partnerships with federal agencies (NASA, NIH, NIST, NSA), industry in the D.C. metro area, and international institutions. Member of Big Ten Academic Alliance and AAU.
Research:
A leading research university with strengths in quantum science (Quantum Technology Center), AI and robotics, cybersecurity, public health, climate science, and agriculture. High research expenditure.
Famous Alumnis:
Sergey Brin, Jim Henson, Connie Chung, Larry David, Carly Fiorina, Kevin Plank
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10100
Current students***:
41200
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
355000
Pros
Proximity to Washington D.C. offers unique internship and research opportunities with federal agencies, strong engineering and computer science programs, diverse student body, good value.
Cons
Large student population, can be competitive for popular majors, some older campus facilities, commuter campus aspects.
Best For
Students interested in engineering, computer science, or public policy, often valuing research opportunities and internships available due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., at a major public research university.
George Mason University in Fairfax is a public university with law, public policy, economics and information technology among its main fields, the closest match to Maryland's policy and technology mix.
George Washington University, private and based in Washington, covers arts and sciences, medicine and health sciences, law and engineering, a capital-city option alongside College Park.
Georgetown University is a private university in Washington whose fields include foreign service, public policy, law and medicine, which suits applicants focused on policy.
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is private and strong in medicine, public health and international studies (SAIS) if the policy side is the main draw.
Carleton University in Canada is public, with journalism and communication, public affairs and engineering as main fields, which covers the same pairing of policy and technology as Maryland.
University of Waterloo, also in Canada, is a public university known for computer science, engineering and mathematics taught with co-op placements.
Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology is a public technical university with engineering, technology and natural sciences as its core.
Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands is public and works in aerospace engineering, civil engineering and computer science.
Technische Universität Berlin in Germany is a public university in a national capital, with mechanical engineering, computer science and electrical engineering as main fields.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Under what name was the University of Maryland originally founded?
It began on 6 March 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College. In 1916 it became Maryland State College of Agriculture, and in 1920 it was consolidated with the Baltimore campus as the University of Maryland.
Why does Morrill Hall matter on the College Park campus?
Morrill Hall, built in 1898, is the oldest academic building still in use. The fire of 1912 destroyed all dormitory rooms and half of the classrooms and offices elsewhere on campus.
What is the size of the student body?
Fall 2022 enrolment was 40,792, consisting of 30,353 undergraduates and 10,439 postgraduates, according to federal IPEDS data. The university's own website now cites more than 41,000 students.
Which units make up the university?
It reports 12 colleges and schools, among them the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Programme details, tuition and application dates are listed on the admissions pages of umd.edu.
What is the Discovery District?
It is the research park that launched in 2004 as M Square and was renamed the Discovery District in 2017. It spans 150 acres.
How is Maryland positioned in research?
It is classed R1, and the National Science Foundation ranked it 18th among US universities for R&D expenditure in fiscal year 2023. The university reports $1.5 billion in combined research expenditures with the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in fiscal year 2024.
Which sports teams represent the university?
The Terrapins joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, and Testudo the terrapin is the mascot. Men's basketball won the national championship in 2002, and the women's lacrosse team won its 15th national title in 2019.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
