About Us

The University of Maryland - College Park, also known as UMD, is a renowned public research university located outside of Washington, DC and is the largest university in Maryland, with close to 40,000 students in its graduate and undergraduate programs. The university owns many state-of-the art research facilities including the National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, and houses the world’s largest largest isochronous synchrocyclotron. UMD boasts an excellent record in academics and sports; the school is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference Athletic League, and offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degrees in 13 different colleges and schools. The school is quite selective, with a 41.9% acceptance rate for new students making admission very competitive. Students are able to partake in several unique degree programs including the Living and Learning program which allows students with similar academic interests to live and work together, and the interdisciplinary 4-year research program known as Gemstone Program. Students at UMD also have unique research opportunities due to the school’s partnerships with government agencies and research bodies. Students have opportunities to work on scientific, biomedical, and anti-terrorism research as well as assist NASA in aerospace research. The university boasts an impressive list of alumni including Muppets producer Jim Henson, Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin. The list of notable alumni includes the CEO of CNN and President of Lokheed-Martin, among others. It is no surprise that the school ranks highly nationally and internationally. The U.S. News and World Reported ranked the school 55th nationally in its 2012 report, while the Academic Ranking of World Universities (AWRU) ranked it 36th in the world. The University claims to provide an “enterprising, hands-on, involved & unstoppable” education, and their success is evident in their rankings, alumni, and ongoing research.