University of Maryland, College Park: A Comprehensive Overview

The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), often referred to as the University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland, stands as a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Founded in 1856, UMD is the largest university in Maryland and in the Washington metropolitan area. As a member of the Association of American Universities, its proximity to the nation's capital fosters significant research funding from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Academic Rankings and Recognition

In the edition of Best Colleges, University of Maryland, College Park is ranked No. #42 in National Universities. It's also ranked No. #16 in Top Public Schools. The Academic Ranking of World Universities placed Maryland as 43rd in the world in 2015. Furthermore, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings positioned Maryland 69th worldwide in 2017-2018. These rankings reflect the university's commitment to academic excellence and research innovation.

A Historical Perspective

The college’s future was not always secured, and indeed the institution went bankrupt from 1864 to 1866 before reopening a year later with 11 students. During the Civil War, Confederate soldiers under Brigadier General Bradley Tyler Johnson moved past the college on July 12, 1864, as part of Jubal Early's raid on Washington, D.C. By the end of the war, financial problems forced the administrators to sell off 200 acres (81 ha) of land, and the continuing decline in enrollment sent the Maryland Agricultural College into bankruptcy. The Maryland legislature assumed half ownership of the school in 1866. The college thus became, in part, a state institution. By October 1867, the school reopened with 11 students. In 1868, the former Confederate admiral Franklin Buchanan was appointed president of the school. Enrollment grew to 80 at the time of his resignation, and the school soon paid off its debt. Twenty years later, the federally-funded Agricultural Experiment Station was established there.

On November 29, 1912, a fire destroyed student housing, school records, and most of the academic buildings, leaving only Morrill Hall untouched. There were no injuries or fatalities, and all but two students returned to the university and insisted on classes continuing. During Phillips Lee Goldsborough's tenure as Governor of Maryland, the state purchased Maryland Agricultural College, taking control of the school in 1916 and renaming it Maryland State College. In the same year, the first female students, Elizabeth Gambrill Hook and Charlotte Ann Vaux, enrolled at the school. On April 9, 1920, the college became part of the existing University of Maryland, replacing St. John's College, Annapolis as the university's undergraduate campus. In the same year, the graduate school on the College Park campus awarded its first Ph.D. degrees and the university's enrollment reached 500 students. By the time the first black students enrolled at the university in 1951, enrollment had grown to nearly 10,000 students-4,000 of whom were women. In 1957, President Wilson H. Elkins pushed to increase the university's academic standards. His efforts resulted in creating one of the first Academic Probation Plans. On October 19, 1957, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom attended her first and only college football game at the University of Maryland after expressing interest in seeing a typically American sport during her first tour of the United States. Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at The University of Maryland in 1964. In 1969, the university was elected to the Association of American Universities.

In a massive restructuring of the state's higher education system in 1988, the school was designated as the flagship campus of the newly formed University of Maryland System (later changed to the University System of Maryland in 1997). It was formally named the University of Maryland, College Park. All five campuses in the former network were designated distinct campuses in the new system. The university suffered multiple data breaches in 2014. The first resulted in the compromise of over 300,000 student and faculty records. A second data breach occurred several months later. The second breach was investigated by the FBI and Secret Service and found to be done by David Helkowski. Despite the attribution, no charges were filed. In 2017, the university received a record-breaking donation of $219.5 million from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, ranking among the country's largest philanthropic gifts to a public university. Darryll J. Pines became the 34th president of the university in 2020. In April 2024, UMD students joined other campuses across the United States in protests against the Gaza war.

Campus Environment and Resources

The center of the university's 1,250 acres (5.1 km2) is McKeldin Mall, which is the largest academic mall in the United States. The Mall is bordered on the west and east by McKeldin Library and the Thomas V. Miller, Jr. Administration Building, respectively. Academic buildings surround McKeldin Mall on the north and south ends. They are the homes to many departments in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. South of McKeldin Mall are the North Hill Community, at the southwesterly corner, and the original center of campus, Morrill Hall and the Morrill Quad. South of the Morrill Quad are the South Hill and South Campus Commons Communities, and the Southwest Mall and the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Running parallel to McKeldin Mall to the north is Campus Drive, the main thoroughfare through campus. Another thoroughfare, Regents Drive, runs perpendicular to the Mall and is home to the Memorial Chapel and the Campus Farms. Regents Drive crosses Campus Drive at the campus hallmark, The "M", which is a mound with a large "M" formed by flowers in its center. The northeast quadrant of campus, formed by Campus and Regent Drives, is home to many of natural sciences and applied sciences departments.

Housing and Dining

There are two main residential areas on campus, North Campus and South Campus. North Campus is made up of Cambridge Community (which consists of five residence halls and houses the College Park Scholars program), Denton Community (which consists of three halls), Oakland Community (which consists of one hall), Ellicott Community (consisting of three halls), and the Courtyards, a garden-style apartment community in north campus consisting of seven buildings. The Heritage community, completed in 2024, features two residence halls and a dining hall (Johnson Whittle Hall, Pyon Chen Hall, and Yahentamitsi Dining Hall.) Most residence halls have AC, but some do not. There are three dining halls on campus. In addition, a food court in the Stamp Student Union provides many fast food dining options for the university community. The 251 North dining hall lies in the Denton Community on the northern part of campus.

Transportation

College Park-University of Maryland Metro station provides access to Downtown, Washington, D.C. The university is accessible through the three airports in the greater Washington metropolitan area: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. A small public airport in College Park, College Park Airport, lies nearly adjacent to campus, but operations are limited. A free shuttle service, known as Shuttle-UM, is available for UMD students, faculty, staff, and some residents of College Park and Greenbelt. The university is served by an off-campus stop on the Washington Metro's Green Line called College Park - University of Maryland. This stop is adjacent to a stop on the MARC Camden line, a commuter rail line which runs from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.

Academic Programs

UMD's eleven schools and colleges offer over 200 degree-granting programs, including 113 undergraduate majors, 107 master's programs, and 83 doctoral programs.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Undergraduate Programs

The university offers a wide array of undergraduate programs, including:

Accounting (Business)
Aerospace Engineering
African-American Studies
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine
Agricultural Science & Technology
American Studies
Anthropology
Arabic Studies
Architecture
Art Education
Art History
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Bioengineering
Biological Sciences: Cell Biology and Genetics
Biological Sciences: Ecology and Evolution
Biological Sciences: General Biology
Biological Sciences: Microbiology
Biological Sciences: Physiology and Neurobiology
Central European, Russian and Eurasian Studies
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Chinese
Civil Engineering
Classical Languages and Literatures
Communication
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Dance
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Elementary Education
English Language and Literature
Environmental Science and Policy
Environmental Science and Technology
Family Science
Finance (Business)
Fire Protection Engineering
French Language and Literature
General Business
Geology
German Language and Literature
Government and Politics
Hearing and Speech Sciences
History
Individual Studies
International Business
Japanese
Jewish Studies
Kinesiology
Landscape Architecture
Letters and Sciences (advising for undecided students, prior to picking a degree-granting program)
Linguistics
Marketing (Business)
Materials Science (Engineering)
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Mechanical Engineering
Operations Management (Business)
Persian Studies
Philosophy
Physical Education
Physical Sciences
Physics
Plant Sciences
Political Science
Psychology
Romance Languages
Russian Language and Literature
Sociology
Special Education
Studio Art
Theatre
Undecided (Letters and Sciences; advising for undecided students, prior to picking a degree-granting program)
Animal Sciences
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science
Biocomputational Engineering
Cinema and Media Studies
Community Health
Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering
Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education
Elementary/Middle Special Education
Fermentation Science
Geographical Sciences
Human Development
Immersive Media Design
Information Science
Information Systems, Business Specialization
Journalism
Management
Middle School Education
Neuroscience
Nutrition and Food Science
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Music
Public Health Science
Public Policy
Real Estate and the Built Environment
Religions of the Ancient Middle East
Secondary Education - Art
Secondary Education - English
Secondary Education - Mathematics
Secondary Education - Science
Secondary Education - Social Studies
Secondary Education - World Language
Social Data Science
Spanish Language, Literatures, and Culture
Supply Chain Management
Technology and Information Design
Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Graduate Programs

The graduate programs at UMD are equally diverse, including:

Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC)
American Studies (AMST)
Animal Sciences (ANSC)
Anthropology (ANTH)
Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation (AMSC)
Architecture (ARCH)
Art History and Archaeology (ARTH)
Art Studio (ARTT)
Astronomy (ASTR)
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science (AOSC)
Biochemistry (BCHM)
Biological Sciences (BISI)
Biophysics (BIPH)
Business and Management (BMGT)
Chemical Physics (CHPH)
Chemistry (CHEM)
Classics (CLAS)
Clinical Audiology (CAUD)
Communication (COMM)
Comparative Literature (CMLT)
Computer Science (CMSC)
Creative Writing (CRWR)
Criminology and Criminal Justice (CRIM)
Dance (DANC)
Economics (ECON)
Education: Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)
Education: Human Development (EDHD)
Education: Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation (EDMS)
Education: Special Education (EDSP)
Engineering: Aerospace Engineering (ENAE)
Engineering: Bioengineering (BIOE)
Engineering: Chemical Engineering (ENCH)
Engineering: Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENCE)
Engineering: Electrical & Computer Engineering (ENEE)
Engineering: Fire Protection Engineering (ENFP)
Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering (ENMA)
Engineering: Mechanical Engineering (ENME)
Engineering: Professional Master of Engineering (ENPM)
Engineering: Reliability Engineering (ENRE)
Engineering: Systems Engineering (ENSE)
Engineering: Telecommunications (ENTS)
English Language and Literature (ENGL)
Entomology (ENTM)
Enviromental Science and Technology (ENST)
Family Science (FMSC)
French Language and Literature (FRIT)
Geology (GEOL)
Geospatial Information Sciences (MPSG)
Government and Politics (GVPT)
Graduate Certificate Real Estate Development (Z029)
Graduate Certificate: Critical Theory (Z017)
Graduate Certificate: Literacy Coaching (Z038)
Graduate Certificate: Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (Z037)
Graduate Certificate: Population Studies (Z036)
Graduate Certificate: Terrorism Analysis (Z039)
Graduate Certificate: Women's Studies (Z006)
Hearing and Speech Sciences (HESP)
Historic Preservation (HISP)
History (HIST)
Information Management (INFM)
Information Studies (INFS)
Jewish Studies (JWST)
Journalism (JOUR)
Kinesiology (KNES)
Landscape Architecture (LARC)
Linguistics (LING)
Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences (MEES)
Masters of Chemical and Life Sciences (CLFS)
Mathematical Statistics (STAT)
Mathematics (MATH)
Mathemetics of Advanced Industrial Technology (MAIT)
Modern French Studies (FRMS)
Music (MUSC)
Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS)
Philosophy (PHIL)
Physics (PHYS)
Plant Science (PLSC)
Psychology (PSYC)
Public Health: Behavioral and Community Health Ph.D. (PCHL)
Public Health: Epidemiology Ph.D. (EPID)
Public Health: Health Services Ph.D. (PHHS)
Public Health: Master of Health Administration (HLSA)
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Biostatistics (BIOS)
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Environmental Health Sciences (MIEH)
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Epidemiology (EPDM)
Public Health: Maternal and Child Health Ph.D.

Admissions and Financial Aid

University of Maryland, College Park accepts the Common Application and has a test-optional admissions policy. For the Class of 2026 (enrolled fall 2022), Maryland received 56,766 applications and accepted 19,451 (34.3%). The school's in-state tuition and fees are $11,809; out-of-state tuition and fees are $41,186. Thirty-five percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $16,590. The four-year graduation rate is 77%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $67,785.

Faculty and Research

The university's faculty has included four Nobel Prize laureates. The earliest recipient, in 1956, was Juan Ramón Jiménez, a Spanish language and literature professor. Four decades later, physics professor William Daniel Phillips won a prize in physics for his contributions to laser cooling. In 2005, Thomas Schelling was awarded the prize in economics for his contributions to game theory. In 2006, John C. Mather was awarded the prize in physics alongside George Smoot for their work in the discovery of blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. In addition, two University of Maryland alumni are Nobel Prize laureates; Herbert Hauptman won the 1985 prize in chemistry, and Raymond Davis Jr.

The university has many notable academics. Professor of mathematics, Sergei Novikov won the Fields Medal in 1970, followed by alumnus Charles Fefferman in 1978. Alumnus George Dantzig won the 1975 National Medal of Science for his work in the field of linear programming. Professor of physics Michael Fisher won the Wolf Prize in 1980 (together with Kenneth G. Wilson and Leo Kadanoff) and the IUPAP Boltzmann Medal in 1983. James A. Yorke, a distinguished university professor of mathematics and physics and chair of the mathematics department, won the 2003 Japan Prize for his work in chaotic systems.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

On October 14, 2004, the university added 150 acres (61 ha) in an attempt to create the largest research park inside the Washington, D.C. Glenn L. The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) launched in 2005 as one of the Centers of Excellence supported by the Department of Homeland Security in the United States. The university hosts "living-learning" programs (LLPs) that allow students with similar academic interests to live in the same residential community take specialized courses and perform research in those areas of expertise.

Student Life

The student-faculty ratio at University of Maryland, College Park is 17:1, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Media and Publications

The Diamondback is an independent student newspaper. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin, which became the school mascot in 1933. WMUC-FM (90.5 FM) is the university's non-commercial radio station, staffed by UMD students and volunteers. WMUC is a freeform and sports broadcasting station broadcast at 10 watts. Its broadcasts can be heard throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Notable WMUC alumni include Connie Chung, Bonnie Bernstein, Peter Rosenberg and Aaron McGruder.

Athletics

Thomas V. Miller, Jr. XFINITY Center, home of Maryland basketball. The university sponsors varsity athletic teams in 20 men's and women's sports. The teams, named the "Terrapins", represent Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition. Maryland became a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1952 but left to join the Big Ten Conference on July 1, 2014. As of 2025, Maryland's athletic teams have been awarded 47 national championships by the NCAA, USILA, AIAW, and NCA. In 2008 and 2010, The Princeton Review named the University of Maryland's athletic facilities the best in the nation. The Terrapins nickname (often shortened to "Terps") was coined by former university president, football coach, and athletic director H. C. Men's basketball is the most popular sport at the university. Long-time head coach Lefty Driesell began the now nationwide tradition of "Midnight Madness" in 1971. Beginning in 1989, alumnus Gary Williams revived the program, which was struggling in the wake of Len Bias's death and NCAA rules infractions. Williams led Maryland basketball to national prominence with two Final Four appearances, and in 2002, a national championship. Maryland men's lacrosse remains one of the sport's top programs since its beginnings as a squad in 1865. The team most recently won the national championship in 2022, completing an undefeated season, the first since Virginia in 2006, and the first to go undefeated across 18 games. The men's soccer team has won four NCAA Division I College Cup national championships, most recently in 2018. Under the guidance of head coach Sasho Cirovski, the soccer team has reached nine Final Fours and won three College Cups since 1997. The soccer team has developed a large, devoted fan base among students and the local community.

Notable Alumni and Donors

Notable alumni include House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer; Google co-founder Sergey Brin; The Muppets creator Jim Henson; The Wire creator David Simon; former NFL Quarterback Norman "Boomer" Esiason; CBS host Gayle King; journalist Connie Chung; and Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David. Prominent alumni in business include Ed Snider, former chairman of Comcast Spectacor and former owner of the Philadelphia Flyers and Reena Aggarwal, Robert E. McDonough Professor of Finance at Georgetown University and Director of the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy; journalist Jim Walton, former president and CEO of CNN; Kevin Plank, founder and executive chairman of the athletic apparel company Under Armour; Chris Kubasik, former president of Lockheed Martin; and Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Attendees within the fields of science and mathematics are Nobel laureates Raymond Davis Jr., 2002 winner in Physics; Herbert Hauptman, 1985 winner in Chemistry, and Fields Medal winner Charles Fefferman. Other alumni include George Dantzig, considered the father of linear programming; late NASA astronaut Judith Resnik, who died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger during the launch of mission STS-51-L; and NASA Administrator Michael D.

Several donors have distinguished themselves for their sizable gifts to the university. Businessman Robert H. Smith, who graduated from the university in 1950 with a degree in accounting, gave over $45 million to the business school that now bears his name and to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, which bears his wife's name. Construction entrepreneur A. James Clark, who graduated with an engineering degree in 1950, donated over $45 million to the college of engineering, which also bears his name. Another engineering donor, Jeong H. Kim, earned his Ph.D. from the university in 1991 and gave $5 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art engineering building. Philip Merrill, a media figure, donated $10 million to the College of Journalism. Robert E. and foreign medical patents donated $30 million to the A. James Clark School of Engineering, establishing the Fischell Department of Bioengineering.

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