Universities in Baltimore, The United States

Baltimore, in the US state of Maryland, has a varied choice of universities for a city of its size: a private research university, public universities including two historically Black universities (HBCUs), a Jesuit university, an art college and a community college. Our directory lists eight universities and colleges in Baltimore; the list below the text shows them all.

What the universities offer

In the United States, "college" and "university" are often used for the same thing; strictly, a college offers only undergraduate degrees. Examples in Baltimore, with figures from the U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator and the schools' own sites:

• Johns Hopkins University is a private research university with 30,210 students, 6,356 of them undergraduates, and a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1.
• Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a public high research (R2) university and, according to the university, the largest HBCU in Maryland. It offers more than 150 programmes from bachelor's degrees to doctorates and has 10,739 students.
• UMBC - The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is a public university with 13,906 students, 10,767 of them undergraduates.
• Coppin State University is a smaller public university with 2,210 students.
• Loyola University Maryland was founded in 1852 by the Society of Jesus and has a campus of 81 wooded acres in North Baltimore, with 4,897 students.
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), founded in 1826, describes itself as the oldest independent, continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the United States; its students come from 41 states and 29 countries.
• Baltimore City Community College, founded in 1947, is a public two-year college with 4,375 students.

Costs

Public universities have a lower in-state rate for Maryland residents and a higher out-of-state rate for everyone else; the figures below for public institutions are out-of-state rates. According to College Navigator, tuition and fees for a full-time first-year undergraduate in 2024-25 were:

• $7,394 out-of-state at Baltimore City Community College
• $14,024 out-of-state at Coppin State University
• $19,124 out-of-state at Morgan State University
• $31,275 out-of-state at UMBC
• $56,800 at MICA and $57,150 at Loyola University Maryland
• $65,230 at Johns Hopkins University

Food and housing on campus add, for example, $15,146 a year at UMBC and $20,150 at Johns Hopkins. Graduate fees vary by programme, so check each school's own fee page.

Practical tips

• Visa: degree students need an F student visa. Once a school has admitted you, its international student office sends the Form I-20 that you need for the visa application.
• Work: according to EducationUSA, international students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in their first year, with the permission of the international student office.
• Community college first: starting at a two-year college and transferring later can lower costs, but the transfer process differs from school to school, so check the requirements of the four-year university early.
• English: some US universities offer bridge or pathway programmes that combine English study with academic credit.
• Transport: on the Maryland Transit Administration's buses, light rail and metro, a single trip costs $2.00, a day pass $4.60 and a 31-day pass $77.00.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a university in Baltimore cost?

For first-year undergraduates in 2024-25, tuition and fees ranged from $7,394 (out-of-state) at Baltimore City Community College to $65,230 at Johns Hopkins University, according to College Navigator. Housing and food on campus cost $15,000 to $20,000 more a year.

Are there public universities in Baltimore?

Yes. Morgan State University, UMBC, Coppin State University and Baltimore City Community College are public institutions.

Which visa do I need to study at a university in Baltimore?

Degree students need an F student visa, for which you apply with the Form I-20 that the university sends after admission.

Is there an art college in Baltimore?

Yes. The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), founded in 1826, offers bachelor's and master's degrees in art and design.