Best Online Colleges in Maryland

Founded in 1966, the University of Maryland - Baltimore County enrolls more than 13,000 students. This public research institution offers programs through the main campus in Baltimore, the Shady Grove campus, and an online division that features master’s degrees and certificates.

UMBC offers both an online master’s degree and a four-course graduate certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Designed for prospective or experienced teachers, the master’s degree in TESOL includes general, certification, and thesis options.

UMBC also offers online MS degrees in emergency health services and information systems designed to prepare professionals for leadership roles. The university’s online master’s in instructional systems development includes an internship and final project designed for working professionals.

Residents of Maryland and nearby states qualify for lower in-state, per-credit tuition rates.

Located outside Baltimore, Maryland less than one hour from Washington, D.C., Towson University serves nearly 23,000 students as part of the University of Maryland system. Towson’s seven colleges offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in areas such as business, education, and the health professions.

Towson partners with community colleges across Maryland to provide a fully online bachelor’s degree in allied health. This program is the university’s only online undergraduate major and offers six tracks, including family studies and education.

Towson also offers three fully online master’s degrees designed for working professionals. Towson’s instructional technology master’s offers three concentrations that allow students to select online or hybrid courses. Learners in the homeland security management program demonstrate their skills through a research capstone project. Experienced educators may access Towson’s educational leadership master’s program entirely online.

Graduate school applicants must meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement.

Founded in 1947 as the Catholic women’s school Villa Julie College, Stevenson University gained a new name and began admitting men in 1972. Today, the university enrolls more than 1,300 students, about 80% of whom are women.

Stevenson offers online undergraduate programs, graduate degrees, and certificates. Registered nurses may complete their bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing online. Other available online undergraduate programs include legal studies, professional studies, and business administration.

Stevenson delivers 12 master’s programs online, including degrees in forensics, education, and healthcare. Students with 60 credits may pursue combined bachelor’s-to-master’s programs online in 12 areas of study, including criminal justice and human services.

Online degree applicants must submit a personal statement. Other admission requirements, such as a minimum GPA, vary by program.

Stevenson does not charge separate fees for online classes.

Salisbury University began in 1925 as a normal school to train teachers serving Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore. Today, SU enrolls more than 8,700 students in about 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six colleges and schools.

SU students can access a variety of online and hybrid courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. SU offers several graduate programs fully online, including master’s degrees in business, social work, and geographic information systems management. MBA candidates can select from fully online, hybrid, and accelerated program options. MSW students may access hybrid courses at satellite locations and select field placements in their area.

Graduate application requirements vary by program but typically include personal statements and letters of recommendation. SU charges a flat, per-credit tuition rate for online master’s programs.

As a large online state university, University of Maryland Global Campus offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates to about 50,000 students throughout Maryland and at military facilities around the world.

UMGC offers 60-credit online associate degrees in general studies to military-affiliated students that feature areas of specialization such as accounting, criminal justice, and psychology. Online undergraduates may select from more than 30 majors, including biotechnology, cybersecurity management, gerontology, and software development.

Master’s degree offerings include cloud computing, data analytics, and teaching. UMGC also offers online doctorates in business administration and community college administration; students in these programs pay the same tuition rate regardless of residency.

UMGC offers asynchronous classes that use no-cost digital materials and open educational resources. Online students may access tutoring, mentoring, and advising services.

Founded in 1927 in Washington, D.C., Capitol Technology University began as a correspondence school that trained radio and electronics technicians. The university moved to Laurel, Maryland in 1980. Today, Capitol offers 27 graduate programs -- all available online -- and 21 bachelor’s degrees, including five online.

Capitol undergraduates can take numerous courses online and may complete the last two years of their degree fully online. The university's online programs typically require capstone projects or internships. Undergraduate areas of study available online include cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and business analytics.

The school also offers online master’s degrees in topics such as aviation, critical infrastructure, and cyberanalytics. Doctoral program offerings include a doctorate in cybersecurity that involves preparation and defense of a dissertation.

Capitol offers a free online application for undergraduates.

Frostburg State University opened in 1902 as a normal school designed to train teachers. Located in Western Maryland’s Appalachian highlands, FSU serves more than 5,600 students at the Frostburg campus, through the University of Maryland system, and in online and hybrid programs.

Frostburg delivers 47 undergraduate majors in addition to 20 graduate degrees and certificates. These include an online RN-to-BSN program, four online master's programs, and two hybrid master’s degrees.

The school’s online MBA includes seven-week courses that students can complete part or full time in as little as a year. FSU offers MS degrees in applied computer science as well as recreation, parks, and sport management. Nurses can complete four graduate nursing tracks completely or mostly online. Online classes include asynchronous and synchronous elements.

Tuition rates differ according to residency, and admission criteria for graduate programs vary by program.

Founded in 1867 as a Methodist seminary, Morgan State University became a public school in 1939. Located in northeast Baltimore, the university now enrolls about 7,700 students in undergraduate and graduate programs.

A member of the Maryland Online consortium of schools, Morgan provides students access to shared online courses. The university also delivers several graduate degrees and certificates online.

Master’s degrees available online at Morgan include community college administration, business administration, public health, social work, and project management. The university also delivers a doctorate in community college leadership and a graduate certificate in sustainable urban communities.

Morgan provides online students with the same library, tutoring, and advising services available to on-campus learners, as well as technical support. The admission process for online degrees includes a departmental evaluation.

Established as a Catholic women’s college in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University provides undergraduate programs to women and graduate degree and certificate programs to men and women. NDMU’s schools of arts, sciences, and business; education; nursing; and pharmacy enroll more than 2,400 students each year.

NDMU offers nine online programs: two bachelor’s degrees, five master’s degrees, one Ph.D. in higher education leadership, and one certificate in risk assessment. At the undergraduate level, students may study business or enroll in an RN-to-BSN program. Available master’s degrees include contemporary communications, gifted and talented education, TESOL, analytics, and risk management.

Online students may access 24/7 technical support and on-campus tutoring services.

Online tuition varies by program. NDMU typically accepts undergraduate applicants to online programs with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Graduate students may transfer up to six credits.

Founded in 1925 to provide affordable evening classes in business and law to working professionals, the University of Baltimore now features more than 70 programs in arts and sciences, public affairs, business, and law. Based in Baltimore, UB serves nearly 4,500 students as part of the University of Maryland system.

UB offers five online programs: bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, a graduate certificate in user experience design, and master’s degrees in public administration and interaction design and information architecture.

Students enrolled in UB’s undergraduate business program may fulfill their upper-level business requirements online. Online MBA students may select from 11 areas of specialization.

All students enrolled in UB’s online master’s programs qualify for in-state tuition. The university offers many courses in these programs in both online and hybrid formats.

Graduate school applicants must submit a personal statement and official transcripts.