The University of Maryland’s proud past stretches back to 1856, when the tiny Maryland Agricultural College was carved from part of Charles Benedict Calvert’s plantation along a dirt road now called U.S Route 1. From its start with 34 students, the institution slowly grew to include engineering and the liberal arts, and to add athletics, women and minorities.
Colleges and Schools
The University of Maryland is one of the world’s premier research institutions. With our strategic location and scores of partnerships with government and businesses, UMD conducts groundbreaking research on some of the biggest challenges facing our global community, including cybersecurity and terrorism, bioengineering, public health equity, food safety and climate change. We strive to discover new knowledge and put it to work through innovation and entrepreneurship, advancing economic development and transforming lives.
The University Career Center & The President’s Promise provides comprehensive career assistance for all students enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park. Designed to support students through each stage of their career development, the Center offers an array of resources, services and programs that empower students to pursue their ambitions and navigate a meaningful career journey.
The Memorial Chapel is a multi-faceted campus facility serving numerous on-and off- campus populations and is home to a diverse range of events and personnel. Dedicated in 1952 as a living memorial to members of the University community that gave their lives in times of war, the Memorial Chapel is the center of religious life on campus and supports all fourteen university recognized chaplaincies and their programs. In addition, it is the site for weddings, concerts, lectures, convocations, commencements and other special events throughout the year.
There are about 9,500 beds in 37 residence halls. Most students, about 75% live in double rooms and have one roommate. About 13% of all beds are in triple or quad rooms, where students have two or three roommates. 12% of our inventory are singles (no roommate) and nearly all of those are selected by returning residence hall students through a seniority system. New-to-housing students may request assignments in traditional "dormitory-style" residence halls or in furnished, carpeted and air-conditioned apartments or suites.
McKeldin Library is the main library on campus. You can find space to study quietly or work in groups, get help with any phase of your research project, and borrow laptops or textbooks.
The Division of Information Technology offers a wide range of services, including phones, email, network access, Wi-Fi, classroom and instructional technology, programming and support for administrative computing systems like Testudo and Payroll and Human Resources, and more.
The University Health Center provides high-quality, cost-effective health care and wellness programs in order to promote the health of the University community and support academic success.
There are about 8,900 beds in 37 residence halls and the 625-bed Leonardtown apartment community. Most students live in double rooms and have one roommate. About 13% of all beds are in triple or quad rooms, where students have two or three roommates. Single rooms (no roommate) are assigned solely to returning residence hall students through a seniority system; there is no access to single rooms for new-to-housing students, including for reasons of a medical condition or disability. New-to-housing students may request assignments in traditional "dormitory-style" residence halls (most without air conditioning) or in furnished, carpeted and air-conditioned apartments or suites.
Every fraternity and sorority at the University of Maryland, while social in nature, was established by their founders based on a commitment to certain values: brotherhood and sisterhood, service, scholarship, philanthropy and more. They believed that united rather than apart, they could make men better men, and women better women. We believe that fraternities and sororities have the potential to be the most transformative part of the college experience. Our mission is to do everything we can to make this happen.
The University of Maryland, College Park is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), under the authority of the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, individual colleges, schools, and departments are accredited by a number of other groups
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Climbed 3 places compared to 2024
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 58 | 55 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By U.S. News & World Report
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | 72 | 72 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
Dropped 4 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 114 | 112 | 116 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By TopUniversities
Climbed 11 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 169 | 218 | 207 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 18 reviews
I highly recommend UMGC. As a military member living abroad UMGC has far exceeded my expectations. The are multiple course class options available (particularly hybrid online courses) which makes it ideal for those of us who, due to the nature of the job would find it challenging at times to attend a program at a traditional University that did not offer this option.
The staff is definitely there to help it's students! Even if you're an online hybrid student. I've never felt lost when trying to navigate the college experience. The work you put in will yield matching results.
UMD always has construction going on, there is basically two-three block's worth of restaurants/amenities on route 1 (more of a college street than a college town), thank god the professors I've had so far are pretty decent, honestly most of the facilities seem kind of dated (other than ESJ), not all of the dorms have AC, and the food isn't great quality.
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