by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Maryland, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This list ranks **16** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 16 graduate schools using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Here is the early-career salary range across the top-ranked graduate schools:
Learn more about these excellent graduate schools below:
Johns Hopkins University earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Maryland. Located in Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 94%. In-state tuition and fees run about $64,730. Graduates go on to earn a median of $84,850 early in their careers. The median student debt is $13,426.
Out of the 16 graduate schools in Maryland in this year's ranking, University Of Maryland College Park landed the #2 spot. University Of Maryland College Park is a public school based in College Park, MD. Roughly 89% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,809, compared with $41,186 for out-of-state students. University Of Maryland College Park graduates report median early-career earnings of $57,901. The median student debt is $20,836.
University Of Maryland Baltimore came in at #3 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Maryland. Based in Baltimore, MD, University Of Maryland Baltimore is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,638 in tuition and fees, compared with $44,811 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $85,300. University Of Maryland Baltimore students take on a median of $21,500 in debt.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Maryland Baltimore County one of the top graduate schools in Maryland. This public school is set in Baltimore, MD. University Of Maryland Baltimore County graduates 69% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,256, while out-of-state students pay about $31,225. University Of Maryland Baltimore County graduates report median early-career earnings of $49,179. University Of Maryland Baltimore County students take on a median of $21,331 in debt.
A rank of #5 makes Loyola University Baltimore one of the top graduate schools in Maryland. This private not-for-profit school is set in Baltimore, MD. Loyola University Baltimore graduates 79% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $57,150. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $54,021. The median student debt is $27,000.
Capitol College placed #6 among the best graduate schools in Maryland. This private not-for-profit school is set in Laurel, MD. Capitol College posts a six-year graduation rate of 43%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,592. Median early-career earnings reach $77,059. Capitol College students take on a median of $26,790 in debt.
Hood College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Hood College is a private not-for-profit school based in Frederick, MD. Hood College graduates 57% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $47,700. Median early-career earnings reach $59,332. The median student debt is $24,703.
Towson University placed #8 among the best graduate schools in Maryland. Based in Towson, MD, Towson University is a public institution. About 70% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $11,728, with out-of-state students paying around $29,820. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $50,370. Students borrow a median of $21,241 to complete a degree here.
University Of Maryland University College ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Adelphi, MD, University Of Maryland University College is a public institution. University Of Maryland University College posts a six-year graduation rate of 20%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,136, compared with $12,336 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $65,890. University Of Maryland University College students take on a median of $23,276 in debt.
Frostburg State University landed the #10 spot in Maryland this year. Set in Frostburg, MD, Frostburg State University is a public institution. About 50% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $10,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,814 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,798 early in their careers. The median student debt is $25,340.
College Of Notre Dame Of Maryland came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Set in Baltimore, MD, College Of Notre Dame Of Maryland is a private not-for-profit institution. College Of Notre Dame Of Maryland posts a six-year graduation rate of 50%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $43,360. College Of Notre Dame Of Maryland graduates report median early-career earnings of $72,647. College Of Notre Dame Of Maryland students take on a median of $27,000 in debt.
University Of Baltimore did well this year, earning the #12 position. University Of Baltimore is a public school based in Baltimore, MD. University Of Baltimore graduates 38% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $9,992, compared with $23,984 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $56,837. Students borrow a median of $29,681 to complete a degree here.
Bowie State University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Bowie, MD, Bowie State University is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 38%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,218, with out-of-state students paying around $19,938. Early-career graduates earn a median of $47,668. The median student debt is $28,474.
Morgan State University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Morgan State University is a public school based in Baltimore, MD. Morgan State University graduates 41% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,229, compared with $19,124 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $49,736. Graduates carry a median of $30,309 in student loans.
University Of Maryland Eastern Shore came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Princess Anne, MD, University Of Maryland Eastern Shore is a public institution. About 35% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,076, compared with $20,122 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $39,742. Graduates carry a median of $26,996 in student loans.
Coppin State University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Baltimore, MD, Coppin State University is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 26%. In-state tuition and fees run about $7,100, with out-of-state students paying around $14,024. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $50,062. Students borrow a median of $33,355 to complete a degree here.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Graduate schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.