Best Political Science Colleges in Maryland2026 Rankings
Maryland is home to 21 accredited institutions offering Political Science programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Johns Hopkins University is the most selective, admitting 8% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $27,391, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $34,968. Median early-career earnings for Political Science graduates in this state average $35,142 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 60%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 54 | 8% | 95% | $4,431 | $89,069 | 6:1 | 62 | 5,617 |
| 2 | University of Maryland-College ParkPublic | Excellent· 43 | 45% | 89% | $12,237 | $42,688 | 18:1 | 112 | 30,246 |
| 3 | Coppin State UniversityPublic | Great· 39 | 50% | 26% | $8,140 | $50,561 | 10:1 | 32 | 1,756 |
| 4 | Washington Adventist UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 45% | 40% | $15,195 | $60,537 | 7:1 | 39 | 522 |
| 5 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | Great· 39 | 76% | 80% | $27,472 | $44,572 | 12:1 | 34 | 3,975 |
| 6 | St. Mary's College of MarylandPublic | Great· 39 | 75% | 68% | $14,955 | $30,856 | 10:1 | 25 | 1,566 |
| 7 | Washington CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 66% | 74% | $25,670 | $36,741 | 9:1 | 29 | 890 |
| 8 | Towson UniversityPublic | Strong· 37 | 83% | 68% | $16,686 | $42,648 | 14:1 | 52 | 16,400 |
| 9 | Salisbury UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 89% | 67% | $14,904 | $33,397 | 13:1 | 45 | 6,056 |
| 10 | Goucher CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 73% | 60% | $22,034 | $34,937 | 8:1 | 40 | 948 |
| 11 | University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyPublic | Strong· 34 | 74% | 71% | $18,506 | $33,549 | 18:1 | 45 | 10,434 |
| 12 | McDaniel CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 84% | 64% | $19,417 | $49,886 | 13:1 | 36 | 1,652 |
| 13 | United States Naval AcademyPublic | Strong· 34 | 9% | 92% | — | — | 8:1 | 26 | 4,465 |
| 14 | Morgan State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 83% | 42% | $16,670 | $37,900 | 17:1 | 56 | 8,293 |
| 15 | Notre Dame of Maryland UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 86% | 52% | $24,228 | $63,392 | 8:1 | 29 | 684 |
| 16 | Hood CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 78% | 55% | $25,892 | $55,348 | 11:1 | 32 | 1,202 |
| 17 | Mount St. Mary's UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 72% | 58% | $24,088 | $29,800 | 12:1 | 38 | 1,806 |
| 18 | University of BaltimorePublic | Good· 31 | 86% | 47% | $17,265 | $50,372 | 10:1 | 32 | 1,276 |
| 19 | Bowie State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 84% | 38% | $19,731 | $42,961 | 16:1 | 25 | 5,207 |
| 20 | Frostburg State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 89% | 52% | $17,130 | $41,332 | 13:1 | 47 | 2,849 |
| 21 | University of Maryland Global CampusPublic | Fair· 23 | — | 30% | $19,790 | $62,476 | 20:1 | 33 | 48,238 |