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Towson University: Towson University Sun on Stephen's Hall (16668411069)
Photo: Katie Simmons-Barth Photography from Baltimore, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

#3 Best colleges for nursing in Maryland

Towson University

Towson, MD · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $17,413 a year

Median debt at graduation: $18,718 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

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Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

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In Maryland

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Academic Excellence

B+Academic Excellence: B+ (grade B+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Very good · Top 29%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,095 · ACT 23
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,084

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$6,962
$30,001–$48,000$12,590
$48,001–$75,000$16,784
$75,001–$110,000$22,720
Over $110,000$26,396

Full cost of attendance before aid: $28,535 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
16,517
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 41% · Women 59%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
29%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
9%
Total students19,527
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$17,413
Cost of attendance (per year)$28,535
Median federal debt at graduation$18,718
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
69%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
68%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
68%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
68%
First-year retention83%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$64,390
Admission rate82%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
$50
Students receiving Pell grants36%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 950–1235ACT 19–27
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1095
SAT reading & writing490–635
SAT math460–600
ACT composite19–27
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Excellent · Top 14% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$104,653
Accounting$91,252
Nursing$91,044
Physics$90,457
Business administration$78,497
Rehabilitation and therapy$77,953
Economics$76,509
Chemistry$76,296
Computing and information science$75,785
Mathematics$72,409
Speech-language pathology$72,365
Information science$72,049
Security science$71,484
Social sciences$68,242
Health administration$68,077
Health sciences$65,108
Communication studies$63,292
Other social sciences$62,559
Allied health$61,911
Political science$60,313
Kinesiology and exercise science$58,624
International relations$57,498
Natural resources and conservation$57,388
Family and human development$57,295
Special education$56,971
Other education$56,949
History$56,318
Teacher education$56,254
Secondary education$55,635
Psychology$55,497
Biochemistry$54,367
Biology$53,793
English$53,164
Human services$52,223
Ethnic and gender studies$50,406
Fine arts$48,238
General studies$47,597
Linguistics$46,447
Broadcasting$42,584
Theatre$39,753
Music$36,285

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Area studies, Dance, Geography, Geology and earth science, Interdisciplinary studies, Philosophy, Public health, Religious studies, Urban Studies/Affairs.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business15%
Health professions12%
Computer and information sciences11%
Communication10%
Social sciences9%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates11%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older10%
On-campus room and board (per year)$16,260
SportsNCAA Division I · Colonial Athletic Association
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Faculty who are full-time57%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$5,826Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 30% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)About 15 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population58,6792020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreBaltimoreAbout 6 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January35°F1991–2020 normal, from CYLBURN, MD US, about 4 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July78°F1991–2020 normal, from CYLBURN, MD US, about 4 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.050.07
Robbery0.040.01
Aggravated assault0.030.04
Burglary0.040.08
Motor vehicle theft0.040.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Towson University’s Compass Score?
Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 29% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Towson University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $17,413 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Towson University?
Towson University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Towson University’s graduates do?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $64,390; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,718.

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