Hunting for the best business schools in Maryland? Did you know there are more than 55 colleges in Maryland? Almost all of them offer a business program. This can be an overwhelming number of prospective schools for students to go through and identify the best options that will launch them toward their future careers.
This guide will give you an overview of going to business school in Maryland and the 10 best business degrees.
Why Go To Business School In Maryland?
Maryland is strategically positioned between New York City and Washington, D.C. This location on the eastern seaboard places students conveniently close to network with politicians, lobbyists, and Fortune 500 companies alike. Many schools in this region have either a formal partnership with companies or professors who have personal connections that can help students meet the right contacts to ensure they land a job after business school.
The location of a university and college is a critical deciding factor. Why? When looking at the long game, the end goal of one’s education is a successful career. A campus’s location gives you access to people and businesses in the surrounding area. The types of internships and relationships you’ll make while a student can open many future doors.
Maryland’s geopolitical position in the U.S. and the world means you’ll have access to incoming business delegations from around the globe and country visiting factories and giving speeches at companies that have strategically located its headquarters or office close to Washington, D.C. or New York City–the financial capital of the world.
Tuition Cost
The tuition cost of business school in Maryland, coupled with the lower living expenses, makes going to a university in the state more attractive than business programs in places such as New York City.
Maryland has many universities and colleges that offer a business degree at different tuition levels. According to College Calc, students pay on average $15,967 for in-state tuition from 2018 to 2019. The out-of-state tuition is slightly higher at more than $20,000 per academic year.
Don’t forget to check the school’s fees, which vary greatly depending on the university or college.
Specializations
Specializations in any field, in particular business programs, will help students gain a comparative advantage when they begin looking for a job. Since business degrees can appear commonplace, specializing will make the resume stand out.
Business schools in Maryland have business specializations such as international business and business administration and management. These majors will help give your resume a boost over other candidates vying for an entry-level job within the business specialization.
In particular, many of Maryland’s business programs are embedded in a liberal arts college or university. Why would CEOs value a business management degree with a liberal arts focus?
This is an advantage.
Business leaders would all ubiquitously agree they would prefer to hire a candidate with strong critical thinking skills, an effective communicator, and someone that enjoys problem-solving. After all, technical skills can often be learned on the job.
Size Of School
Everyone learns better in different environments. Take a moment to self assess and determine if you will thrive more in a large university or if you would prefer a small college with classrooms with a lower student to teacher ratio. This is an often-overlooked element when considering the right program, but it is an important factor you should consider.
Student Experience
In addition to the education received in the classroom, students should consider the overall student experience they’ll gain at a university or college. This includes the type of extracurricular activities students could participate in, including sports, student associations, and social clubs. Students majoring in business can participate in theatre, music, and play sports. After all, it is often the friendships created through extracurricular activities that can last a lifetime.
Also, what does the surrounding area of a campus offer to students? The state of Maryland sits along the middle of the Atlantic coast, offering proximity to beaches for weekend trips with friends and sailing trips. The state is colloquially known as “America in Miniature.” This is because the geography across the state gives you a diverse range from the ocean in the south, farmland in the east, mountains in the west, and the nation’s Capitol in the center. Therefore, if you are an outdoorsy type of person, you’ll likely find the right terrain for your preferred leisure activities. If you are an academic, you’ll have lots of historical gems to explore.
The state’s location as part of the original 13 colonies of the United States offers students access to a region of the country rich in history. For example, students could visit Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which is where the battle in 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the nation’s anthem.
And if you love gastronomy, Maryland is known for its delicious blue-shell crabs and seafood.
10 Best Business Schools in Maryland
After examining the tuition cost, specializations offered, school size, and a program’s prestige in helping students launch successful business careers, here are the top 10 business schools in Maryland.
All these universities and colleges are accredited and have a majority of graduates getting employment within the first six to nine months.
1. University of Maryland
- Business Degrees Offered: 8
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $27,146
- School Type: Public School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 30,511 (total students) 4,314 (business students)
- Specializations: Dual bachelor's and business specialty master's degree
What Makes The University Of Maryland A Good Business School?
The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is the top business school in Maryland. It has a high success rate in helping students land jobs. Almost three-quarters of graduating students have full-time employment. The program has an excellent international business major with built-in experiential learning to foster global entrepreneurship. The program creates an intersection for business, policy, and politics.
The University of Maryland has satellite campuses and offers classes online to help fit the students’ needs. As a public university, tuition is lower than a private institution, and its quality is high. Students will receive good value for their education at the University of Maryland.
The business school’s Masters Of Business Administration (MBA) was ranked No. 26 for best in the U.S. for 2019 to 2020 academic year in Bloomberg Businessweek. The university offers a wide variety of specializations for business majors and minors so students can select the curriculum that fits their personal interests.
The University of Maryland also has campuses in College Park, Baltimore, and Rockville in Maryland. There is also a location in Washington, D.C., and in Beijing, China.
2. Loyola University Maryland
- Business Degrees Offered: 11
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $50,100
- School Type: Private School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 6,050 (total students) 1,994 (business students)
- Specializations: leadership and management
What Makes Loyola University Maryland A Good Business School?
The Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J. School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland is recognized nation-wide as a Jesuit business program and one of the top business schools in Maryland. The business school boasts its students have a 98 percent employment rate within six to nine months of graduating. In addition, the Loyola graduates make about 30 percent higher salaries when they are in the middle of their career compared to competitors.
There is also a focus on experiential learning so students can gain real-world experience through the curriculum. The business school offers concentrations in accounting, finance, general management, international business, marketing, and management information systems.
The campus is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and offers students real-world challenges. A core component of the business school curriculum is a program called Sellinger Experiential Learning Lab (SELL).
This program uses the latest technology, such as Bloomberg terminals, to teach students to research, analyze real-world data, and develop executive leadership decision-making skills.
3. Johns Hopkins University
- Business Degrees Offered: 2
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $55,350
- School Type: Private School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 23,917 (total students) 6,256 (business students)
- Specializations: Experiential learning
What Makes Johns Hopkins University A Good Business School?
If cost is not the biggest factor in your college selection, then the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School should be your top choice in Maryland. The business program is excellent but it comes at a hefty price tag.
John Hopkins Carey Business School offers various full-time, part-time, online, and non-degree programs for MBA. The school offers dual degrees as well, allowing students to specialize in a wide array of fields. The program is particularly well known for its focus on business and healthcare. Students will learn how to analyze data and extract business insights as part of the program’s focus on data analytics.
The business school has classes at Johns Hopkins campus in Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The university is well known to have practitioner professionals who can bring real-world challenges to the classroom to be solved.
4. University of Baltimore
- Business Degrees Offered: 10
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $9,096
- School Type: Public School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 5,041 (total students) 1,314 (business students)
- Specializations: small classrooms and flexible learning
What Makes University of Baltimore A Good Business School?
The Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore is a small public school, but the alumni network you gain here can help you land a local job because 80 percent of the alumni network live in Maryland.
The business school is convenient for nontraditional students who need flexible learning arrangements with long-distance learning available for full courses. The campus is located in Baltimore, Maryland, with proximity to the city’s business sector. This makes landing and working internships possible with your class schedule.
The campus is in Baltimore, Maryland.
5. Towson University
- Business Degrees Offered: 4
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $10,198
- School Type: Public School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 22,923 (total students) 3,270 (business students)
- Specializations: practical education
What Makes Towson University University A Good Business School?
The College of Business and Economics at Towson University provides good value for students in terms of the tuition cost and quality of education. While Towson University is a public university, it still offers relatively small classrooms. On average, classrooms only have about 30 students.
The courses are geared to give students practical skills that are actionable in their future or current jobs. According to the university, 93 percent of its graduates from the 2019 academic year were employed within six months. The business school is the largest AACSB-accredited undergraduate business program in the state of Maryland.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Towson University this year as one of the top 100 best public universities in the country.
The campus is located in Towson, Maryland.
6. Salisbury University
- Business Degrees Offered: 8
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $10,044
- School Type: Public School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 7,686 (total students) 1,314 (business students)
- Specializations: economics and business with less mathematics
What Makes Salisbury University A Good Business School?
The Perdue School of Business Salisbury University offers students on average small classrooms with only 23 students. A survey of its students found 95 percent were satisfied with their education to prepare them for their employment.
Overall, Salisbury University was recognized for producing the country’s top producer of Fulbright Students for 2019 to 2020. While the university has a liberal arts focus, its business program benefits from an economics focus with less mathematics.
Money magazine ranked Salisbury University among its, “America’s Best Colleges,” list for the seventh year. This list indicates the good value of education the university students receive compared to its price.
The campus is located in Salisbury, Maryland.
7. Goucher College
- Business Degrees Offered: 8
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $45,250
- School Type: Private School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 2,173 (total students) 1,314 (business students)
- Specializations: Accessible professors
What Makes Goucher College A Good Business School?
The business management program at Goucher College offers small classrooms for students that need and want more one-on-one time with professors. Students build personal relationships with teachers easily since classrooms are small with a 10-to-1 student-faculty ratio. For example, a student said their professor even shared articles and suggested readings outside of the curriculum that fit the student’s personal interest.
The liberal arts focus means that Goucher College requires all undergraduates to study abroad before graduating. Goucher College is the first country in the United States with this type of global requirement. This could be particularly helpful for students interested in international business.
Goucher College’s campus is in Baltimore, Maryland.
8. Mount St. Mary’s University
- Business Degrees Offered: 13
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $42,200
- School Type: Private School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 2,000 (total students) N/A (business students)
- Specializations: Experiential learning
What Makes Mount St. Mary’s University A Good Business School?
The Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business at Mount St. Mary’s University focuses its curriculum on giving students a well-rounded experience. This means that textbooks are augmented using technology and real-world challenges to train students to find real-world business solutions. The school has a focus on teaching critical thinking and moral and ethical professionalism.
The institution was ranked in the top 10 percent of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. for high earning potential from graduates.
Mount St. Mary’s University is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
9. Washington College
- Business Degrees Offered: 1
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $47,724
- School Type: Private School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 1,367 (total students) N/A (business students)
- Specializations: business for social good
What Makes Washington College A Good Business School?
Washington College offers a business management major with liberal arts values. For example, the school offers students a unique chance to support companies directly through its B-Local Mid-Atlantic partnership. This program’s purpose is to give students an opportunity to help real businesses have socio-economic and environmental impacts.
The final project in the senior year will students put their education to practical use. Students must write a detailed report on a publicly held company, creating a business plan that will entice potential investors. This will require copious primary research and analysis, with the goal of students learning to communicate complex data, understanding the global business landscape, and developing critical thinking skills.
The campus is in Chestertown, Maryland.
10. McDaniel College
- Business Degrees Offered: 3
- Average Yearly College Tuition: $45,876
- School Type: Private School
- Online Program Available: Yes
- School Size: 1,629 (total students) N/A (business students)
- Specializations: Real-world education
What Makes McDaniel College A Good Business School?
McDaniel College invests in supporting students throughout their time at the college. What does this translate to? The school gives a commitment to provide one-on-one mentoring between faculty and staff to students and other support services.
The college has a 12 to 1 student to teacher ratio, offering small classes for an intimate learning environment. The college has a campus in Budapest, Hungary, offering students a chance for a global perspective on their studies.
McDaniel College is located in Westminster, Maryland.
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