Kathleen Thornton
By Kathleen Thornton

Director of Marketing Copy and Content

You may know that ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï (ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï) serves more than 90,000 students across the United States and around the world, but did you know ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland? 

ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is a Maryland state university that was founded to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers by breaking down barriers to education and helping meet workforce needs. We continue that work today—both across the globe and at home, right here in Maryland.

Here are 10 important ways ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï continues to serve the state of Maryland, its residents, and its businesses.

1. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is Maryland’s open enrollment university.

If you want to be back in school, we want you to be here with us. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï served more than 30,000 Marylanders last year! We make it easy to apply to ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï (it takes around 10 minutes), and we don't require standardized test scores. Students can choose from our more than 135 degree and certificate programs, almost all of which can be completed entirely online. When students graduate, they join our vast that includes more than 110,000 alumni from Maryland alone.

2. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï offers online & hybrid classes in Maryland.

While we’re often referred to as an online university, we also offer hybrid courses at locations across the United States, including right here in Maryland. Hybrid classes are offered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Anne Arundel Community College at Arundel Mills, Dorsey Station, Fort Detrick, Fort Meade, Joint Base Andrews, Laurel College Center, National Business Park, Prince George’s Community College, Shady Grove, University System of Maryland (USM) at Southern Maryland, the Universities at La Plata, and more. If you’re in Maryland, chances are, we’re just down the road.

3. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï has alliances with all 16 Maryland community colleges.

We’re also the No. 1 transfer choice of Maryland community college students. We work to make the transfer process completely seamless, which includes waiving the application fee for students transferring from Maryland community colleges and offering our hugely popular Maryland Completion Scholarship. The Completion Scholarship gives eligible Maryland community college graduates the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree for $12,000 or less. It has helped more than 15,000 Maryland community colleges students continue their educations since 2017.

4. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï has alliances with Maryland business & organizations.

Our experience, agility, and industry-focused programs make us a natural fit for Maryland organizations’ workforce development programs. We’ve teamed up with several Maryland-based organizations and government agencies to implement high-quality education and training programs designed to help retain talent, fill skills gaps, and incentivize employees. We work with professionals in a vast array of fields, including aerospace, business, cybersecurity, defense, healthcare, technology, telecommunications, and retail.

5. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï adapts its programs to meet market needs—in Maryland and beyond.

Our cutting-edge programs are designed to prepare our students for the careers of tomorrow—and meet the needs of the evolving job market. Our programs include undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates in high -demand fields like cybersecurity, healthcare, business, IT, and more. Many of our programs and courses can help students prepare for industry certifications to make them competitive and help meet job market needs. We’ve also launched special programs like CyberTEACH Training and GenCyber Teacher Camp. CyberTEACH training helps equip non-STEM middle and high school teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to integrate cybersecurity principles into their curricula while GenCyber Teacher Camp is designed to train non-technical high school teachers to infuse cybersecurity concepts into their existing courses.

6. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s Office of Career Services helps connect students & employers.

Each student who earns a degree or certificate from ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï also receives lifetime career services. Our Office of Career Services provides students and graduates with career planning and help finding jobs and internships. Career Services also links employers—including those in Maryland—to highly qualified job candidates. Students and alumni can access CareerQuest to apply for jobs, internships, and other opportunities 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CareerQuest also allows employers the ability to find candidates for open positions at their organizations.

7. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï employs 2,000+ Maryland residents.

In FY 2024, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï employed more than 2,000 Maryland residents, including adjunct professors. We’re and take pride in fueling the minds and talent that will drive the state’s economy for decades to come.

8. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï scholarships & grants help Maryland students succeed.

In addition to the Maryland Completion Scholarship mentioned above, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï offers a wide range of scholarships, including some specifically for Maryland residents. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is proud to participate in the PG County 3D Scholars program, which makes it possible for Prince George's County public high school students to earn a bachelor's degree at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï for less than $10,000. In addition, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is proud to award the Maryland Resident Success Grant to eligible undergraduate and graduate students who have completed a FAFSA and have demonstrated financial need. On top of these grants and scholarships, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï also offers a very affordable, in-state tuition rate.

9. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is dedicated to Maryland’s military servicemembers & veterans.

ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï has been serving our military servicemembers and veterans since the 1940s. In fiscal year 2024, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï served more than 8,300 military students from Maryland. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï was also ranked the No. 1 university in Maryland for veterans by Military Times in 2024.

10. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï showcases art from Maryland artists & artists around the world.

ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï has an extensive art collection that includes the Maryland Arist Collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of 20th century Maryland art in the state. Some highlights of the collection include large bodies of works by Baltimore artists Herman Maril, Gladys Goldstein, and others. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s collection also includes the Doris Patz Collection of Maryland Artists, named in honor of its founder. This collection showcases works by many of the state’s talented artists. The university’s International Collection features art by artists outside of Maryland. Works are on display daily at both the Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard and the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Arts Program Gallery, both of which are located at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s headquarters in Adelphi, Maryland.

Reference on this webpage to any third-party entity or product does not constitute or imply endorsement by ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï nor does it constitute or imply endorsement of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï by the third party. 

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Discover the Maryland difference at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï.