University of Maryland-College Park: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
College Park, Maryland · Public · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of Maryland-College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Maryland-College Park admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 45%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1463 and an ACT composite around 32. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,590 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Maryland-College Park is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about University of Maryland-College Park right now
The University of Maryland, College Park, founded in 1856, is the flagship of the University System of Maryland and the largest university in the state, with roughly 41,000 students just outside Washington, D.C. Maryland is a public land-grant research university and a member of the Big Ten and the Association of American Universities, with particular strength in engineering, computer science, business, and public policy. The A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Robert H. Smith School of Business both rank among the top public programs nationally, and the university's proximity to federal agencies and NASA Goddard creates internship and research pipelines that few peers can match. Parents should know that UMD remains test-optional for first-year applicants and emphasizes a holistic review that weighs rigor of curriculum and essays heavily. Maryland's Banneker/Key Scholarship is its top merit award, fully funding tuition and fees for a small number of admitted students. The university has also expanded its Maryland Promise Scholarship, which guarantees aid covering tuition and fees for qualifying in-state students from families under a published income cap. Recent campus news that matters for families includes major investments in quantum computing through the Capital of Quantum initiative announced in 2024 with state and industry partners, plus continued growth of the Honors College Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students living-learning program, a draw for tech-oriented applicants.
What GPA does my child need for University of Maryland-College Park?
Admitted students at University of Maryland-College Park typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Maryland-College Park weight in admissions?
University of Maryland-College Park reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Maryland-College Park typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 700–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 690. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 32–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1410 |
| 50th percentile | 1470 |
| 75th percentile | 1520 |
| % submitting SAT | 37% |
| 25th percentile | 32 |
| 50th percentile | 33 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | 6% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 73.2% |
| Top 25% of class | 87.7% |
| Top 50% of class | 98.8% |
| % submitting class rank | 24.8% |
How much does University of Maryland-College Park actually cost?
Published tuition is $11,505 for in-state students and $40,306 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $15,416 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $15,590 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 19% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $10,087 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $39,464 |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $15,590 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Maryland-College Park
| Regular deadline | 1/20 |
| Notification date | 4/1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from University of Maryland-College Park?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Maryland parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Maryland-College Park
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Maryland-College Park recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Maryland-College Park
What GPA do I need for University of Maryland-College Park?
Admitted students at University of Maryland-College Park typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Maryland-College Park typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 700–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 690. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 32–35.
How much does University of Maryland-College Park actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Maryland-College Park after grants and scholarships is $15,590 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Maryland-College Park realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Maryland-College Park is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Maryland-College Park, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.