The Best Online Colleges in Maryland

The University of Baltimore, established in 1925, has over 6,000 students in attendance and contains four academic colleges. During the 1970s, the university acquired the Mount Vernon School of Law, Eastern College and the Baltimore College of Commerce. The university gained full accreditation in 1971. The state purchased the school in 1975. Until 2006, the university only offered upper–division classes and did not award undergraduate degrees.

The University of Baltimore offers several master’s degrees online. Programs of study include business administration and public administration.

Students have access to online resources including technical support over the phone, online career management tools, an online job board, a database containing information on industries and occupations and an online library with 24/7 librarian live chat.

Johns Hopkins, one of the most prestigious online colleges in Maryland, offers an assortment of online degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The school has programs in business, public health, international studies, medicine, and education. Unique online programs include global health planning and management, government analytics, molecular microbiology, regulatory science, and space systems engineering.

Johns Hopkins is well known for its medical programs, many of which the school offers entirely online, such as nursing education and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Most programs are completed entirely online, while others use a hybrid format, which mixes campus and distance education courses. Online classes frequently mix synchronous and asynchronous content, with live virtual classroom sessions and independent work that students complete on their own schedules.

Capitol, located in Laurel, is one of the top online schools in MD for technical and IT education. The college mainly offers graduate degrees online, with nine programs to choose from, including business administration, computer science, cyber analytics, and electrical engineering. Several of the school's doctoral programs use a hybrid format that includes primarily online courses, with options including business analytics and decision sciences, cybersecurity, technology, and unmanned systems applications.

While Capitol offers no fully online bachelor's programs, undergraduates can select from several programs that feature online components, such as business administration and information security. These degrees enable students to complete the final two years of the curriculum completely online, with blended course options available for the first two years. The school offers online courses in either an eight-week accelerated format or a slower-paced 16-week format.

Founded in 1807, UMB is one of the top online colleges in Maryland for professional education. UMB's School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy offer several fully online programs at the graduate level, including regulatory science, health services leadership and management, nursing informatics, and health science. For undergraduate nursing students, the school also offers an RN-to-BSN and an RN-to-MSN pathway.

While all these programs use a primarily online format, nursing and pharmacy students must visit campus for some clinical learning simulations, which helps build practical experience. UMB maintains clinical facilities at its main Baltimore campus and at the Universities in Shady Grove, making it easier for students to choose a location near their home. Courses typically use a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous delivery, with some live class meetings required.

FSU, based in the city of Frostburg, began its distance education program in 2003 with just a few online courses, eventually growing into one of the top online colleges in Maryland. Online programs include a bachelor's in nursing and master's programs in business administration, recreation and parks management, and nursing. Students can also pursue blended master's programs in computer science and special education, which feature primarily online coursework, but include some campus sessions.

FSU offers the Summer Online Freshman Initiative (SOFI), a unique program that allows newly admitted students to complete introductory credits online before beginning full-time courses in the fall. SOFI enables new students to complete their degree faster and gradually transition into higher education.

Based in Baltimore, NDMU is a private Catholic college that ranks among the top Christian online schools in Maryland. This school offers seven online degrees, which includes undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Undergraduates can pursue degrees in business, liberal arts, and nursing, while graduate options include contemporary communication, gifted and talented education, and analytics.

NDMU also offers a doctorate in higher education leadership for changing populations, an innovative degree that focuses on education policy and demographic analysis. All programs use a fully online format, with no campus visits or residency sessions required. NDMU provides a variety of support services for online learners, including personal success coaches, who work with students to identify academic goals and strategies to achieve them. The school also provides technical support, tutoring services, access to a strong alumni network, and resources for online learning success.

WAU, a private liberal arts college in Takoma Park, is one of the top Christian online colleges in Maryland. The school offers two fully online master's programs: a master of business administration and a master of arts in public administration. Both programs feature a primarily asynchronous format that requires only a few scheduled class sessions, allowing students to complete weekly assignments on their own schedule.

The MBA program builds broad skills in the major areas of business, including accounting, management communication, corporate finance, and ethical leadership. While all courses occur online, WAU's proximity to the District of Columbia leads to an assortment of internship opportunities and other experiential learning activities for business students. The public administration program trains students in public advocacy and public policy, preparing graduates to work with for-profit and nonprofit organizations. All degree candidates perform a professional practicum experience as part of the curriculum.

Located about 30 miles northwest of Baltimore in Westminster, McDaniel ranks among the top online colleges in Maryland for graduate students. The school offers four online master's programs, which includes curriculum and instruction, gerontology, school librarianship, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).

The curriculum and instruction degree prepares graduates to serve as educators in schools and colleges or in staff development positions with businesses and other organizations. The school librarianship degree trains students to become information specialists and instructional leaders, leading to library media specialist certification through the Maryland State Department of Education. The TESOL program trains candidates in language education and cross-cultural communication, meeting standards set by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The interdisciplinary gerontology degree explores the aging process and strategies for improving quality of life for aging populations.