Colleges in Maryland: Who Oversees Public, Private and Career Schools

Maryland fits a wide range of campuses into a small state. Our directory lists 139 colleges and schools here, from state universities and county community colleges to beauty academies and culinary schools. They answer to different authorities. Knowing which one covers your school saves time when you need a transcript, a refund or a complaint form.

At the top sits the Maryland Higher Education Commission, known as MHEC. It coordinates higher education policy statewide, approves academic programs and runs state financial aid through its Office of Student Financial Assistance. Private career schools that offer job training generally must be registered with MHEC before they enroll students. That registration is a useful first check on any trade school.

Public four-year campuses belong to the University System of Maryland. Coppin State University is a member, and so is the University of Maryland Global Campus, which our records still list under its older name, University of Maryland-University College. Private institutions such as Stevenson University, which has a campus at 100 Campus Circle in Owings Mills, set their own tuition and admissions rules. They still need MHEC approval to operate in the state.

Community colleges work differently. Each one is tied to a county or region and run by its own board of trustees, with money from the county, the state and tuition. Montgomery College in Rockville, Harford Community College in Bel Air and Carroll Community College in Westminster all follow this model. Tuition is usually set in three tiers: in-county, out-of-county within Maryland, and out-of-state. Your home address decides which rate you pay.

Licensing Rules Behind Maryland's Hair, Massage and Culinary Schools

Many of our Maryland entries are trade schools. They include American Beauty Academy in Silver Spring, Empire Beauty School in Glen Burnie, Delmarva Beauty Academy in Salisbury, Blades School Of Hair Design in California, Hair Academy in New Carrollton and The Temple Annapolis, a Paul Mitchell partner school. Central Maryland School of Massage in Frederick and L'Academie De Cuisine in Gaithersburg round out the career-training group.

Finishing a program is only the first step. Graduates must still pass a licensing exam before working in a regulated trade. Cosmetologists are licensed by the State Board of Cosmetologists, and massage therapists by the State Board of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Examiners. Before you enroll, ask the school how many training hours its program covers. Then check that number against the board's requirement for the license you want.

Baltimore, the Washington Suburbs and Rural Maryland: How Campuses Are Spread Out

The Baltimore area is the densest cluster. Coppin State University sits at 2500 West North Avenue in the city. Stevenson's Owings Mills campus, Fortis Institute at 700 York Road in Towson and the Community College of Baltimore County's Hunt Valley location in Cockeysville lie to the north. Baltimore City is an independent city, not part of any county. If a school does not show up on a city page, also try Baltimore County, which has more listings than any other county in our data.

Near Washington, D.C., activity shifts to Prince George's County and Montgomery County. Prince George's Community College is in Upper Marlboro. Strayer University has a campus in Camp Springs, and the University of Maryland Global Campus has an address on University Boulevard East in Adelphi. Montgomery County adds Montgomery College, the Keller Graduate School of Management in Bethesda and L'Academie De Cuisine. Commuters here cross county lines daily, so a campus in the next county may be closer than the one in your own.

South and west of Baltimore, Anne Arundel County lists The Temple Annapolis and Empire Beauty School. Howard County pairs Maryland University of Integrative Health in Laurel with Lincoln College of Technology in Columbia. Both serve students who want a focused program rather than a broad four-year degree.

Farther out, choices thin and travel time becomes part of the decision. Frederick County has Central Maryland School of Massage, and Washington County has the Kaplan University campus on Crestwood Drive in Hagerstown. Harford County includes Harford Community College and a University of Maryland Global Campus site at Aberdeen Proving Ground. In Southern Maryland, Charles County has a Global Campus center in Waldorf, and St. Mary's County lists Blades School Of Hair Design. On the Eastern Shore, Wicomico County is home to Delmarva Beauty Academy in Salisbury. Allegany County has fewer entries here, though Frostburg State University and Allegany College of Maryland also serve western Maryland.

Maryland also runs shared regional centers for students who cannot easily reach a main campus. Examples include the Universities at Shady Grove in Montgomery County, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown and the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. At these sites several universities offer upper-level and graduate degrees in one building, often to students who finished an associate degree nearby.

Why Many Maryland Students Start at a Community College

Maryland community colleges have open admission for most programs, meaning a high school diploma or equivalent is usually enough to enroll. Some programs, such as nursing and other health fields, have competitive entry and waiting lists. Per-credit costs run well below those of four-year campuses. Many students finish a two-year degree locally and then transfer, which is the main reason community colleges appear so often in county-level searches.

Checking a Maryland College Before You Apply or Enroll

A directory entry tells you where a school is, not whether it is the right choice. Some schools in our records have changed names, merged or closed. Kaplan University, for example, was renamed Purdue Global in 2018. Call the listed number before you travel. These steps take about an hour and can save months of time and a lot of money:

When you visit an admissions office, bring a photo ID and your high school transcript or GED. Add your Social Security number if you plan to apply for aid. For in-county community college tuition, bring proof of residence such as a lease, utility bill or tax return. Offices are busiest in the weeks before fall and spring terms, so applying early gives you more time to fix missing paperwork.

Public colleges and universities in Maryland offer residents access to affordable higher education, professional certifications, and workforce training. The Maryland state legislature oversees funding and policy for public institutions, while individual governing boards manage each campus.

Colleges locations are available in 62 cities across Maryland. They are spread across 18 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Baltimore, Frederick, Silver Spring, reflecting the presence of major university campuses and community college districts serving large student populations.

Prospective students in Maryland should research in-state tuition rates, available degree programs, and financial aid options at public institutions, as these factors vary significantly between community colleges and four-year universities.

Colleges by Counties

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Students in Maryland applying to public colleges and universities should complete the FAFSA as early as possible to maximize eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Many Maryland institutions also offer state-specific grant programs with additional eligibility criteria.

Browse Colleges by county across Maryland to find the nearest location.

Timing, Aid and Records for Maryland Students

Maryland's academic calendar follows the national pattern. Fall classes begin in late August, spring classes in late January, and summer sessions fill the gap. Community colleges often add shorter sessions that start mid-term. Trade schools, including the beauty and massage programs in our listings, frequently enroll on rolling start dates through the year. Ask admissions for the next start date instead of assuming it follows a semester.

Financial aid starts with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Maryland residents who file are also considered for state aid administered by MHEC's Office of Student Financial Assistance. State deadlines can differ from a college's own priority date, so check both before you submit. A school that is not approved for federal aid cannot accept it, which is another reason to confirm its status before signing an enrollment agreement.

Records deserve attention too. Schools that close are expected to arrange for student records to be kept. If yours no longer answers its phone, MHEC is the agency to ask. Keep your own copies of the enrollment agreement, receipts, financial aid letters and transcripts.

For complaints, begin with the school's own process and put your concern in writing. If that fails, MHEC accepts complaints about institutions it oversees. The relevant licensing board handles issues tied to a trade license, and the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division takes broader consumer complaints.

Location shapes your options. Baltimore County, Prince George's County and Montgomery County hold the largest share of campuses, so students there have the widest choice. Residents of Allegany or St. Mary's County often combine a local campus with online courses or a regional higher education center.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges in Maryland

The Maryland Higher Education Commission, or MHEC, is the main state agency. It approves degree programs, authorizes private colleges to operate, registers private career schools and administers state financial aid. Public universities are governed through the University System of Maryland, while community colleges answer to their own boards of trustees. Cosmetology and massage schools face a second layer of oversight because their graduates are licensed by separate state boards. For a complaint, or a question about whether a school is approved, MHEC is usually the right place to start. You can reach it through its official website or by phone.

Most Maryland community colleges charge different per-credit rates for in-county, out-of-county and out-of-state students, and the in-county rate is the lowest. Your legal residence decides which tier applies. Montgomery College in Rockville serves Montgomery County residents at its in-county rate, and Carroll Community College in Westminster does the same for Carroll County. Expect to show proof of residence, such as a lease, utility bill or tax return. If your home county's college does not offer your program, ask the registrar whether a reduced out-of-county rate is available for it.

Yes, and the state builds the path for it. Maryland's ARTSYS articulation system shows how courses from a community college count at public four-year schools, and it lists recommended course sequences by major. Students who plan early, often by choosing an associate degree designed for transfer, lose fewer credits. Meet with an advisor at your community college in your first semester, then confirm requirements with the admissions office of the four-year campus. Courses taken at career schools are less likely to transfer, so ask both schools before you pay.

Completing the program does not authorize you to work. Cosmetologists apply for a license through the State Board of Cosmetologists, and massage therapists through the State Board of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Examiners. Each board sets its own training-hour and exam requirements, and those can change. Before enrolling at a school such as Empire Beauty School in Glen Burnie or Central Maryland School of Massage in Frederick, ask how its curriculum lines up with the current rules. Keep your completion records, because the board will ask for proof of hours.

Our listings come from public education records, and those can lag behind real changes. Some for-profit brands have been renamed, sold or have closed campuses over the years. Start by calling the listed number and asking about current enrollment. Then check the school's website, and look for it among institutions approved or registered with MHEC. If the phone is disconnected, search for the school's current name before assuming it is gone. A school that cannot name its accreditor or show its state registration should not get a deposit.

In our data, Baltimore County leads with 45 listings, followed by Prince George's County with 22, Montgomery County with 17 and Anne Arundel County with 12. It matters mainly for convenience and tuition. Dense areas offer more programs within a short commute. Community college rates depend on where you live, so a campus in a neighboring county may cost more than the one in your own. Compare travel time and total cost, not just distance.

Start with the community college that serves your county, such as Harford Community College in Bel Air or the campuses around Allegany County. Then look at regional higher education centers, including the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown and the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, where several universities offer degrees under one roof. In St. Mary's County and Wicomico County, local trade schools cover hair design and similar fields. Many programs also include online courses, which cut commuting. Ask each school which classes must be taken in person.