A top-ranked public research university specializing in STEM, innovation, and inclusive excellence in the Baltimore-Washington region.
UMBC offers 61 undergraduate majors across three colleges: Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Engineering and Information Technology, and Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The university also operates three schools including the Erickson School of Aging Studies and the School of Public Policy. Graduate offerings include 38 master's programs, 25 doctoral programs, and 29 graduate certificates. The university is classified as a Doctoral University with Very High Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation.
UMBC ranks among the top 15 U.S. universities in NASA funding and consistently ranks in the top 100 public institutions for federal research and development expenditures. The university operates over 20 campus-wide centers and institutes, including three collaborative centers with NASA Goddard. bwtech@UMBC, the university's research park, houses more than 130 companies across cybersecurity, life sciences, and clean technology incubators. Faculty have received 40 NSF CAREER Awards since 1995 and multiple prestigious fellowships.
The 500-acre suburban campus in Catonsville features Academic Row as its central pedestrian concourse, with facilities including the Albin O. Kuhn Library, the Commons student union, and the Performing Arts and Humanities Building. Students engage in 270+ student groups, Greek life, mock trial, and NCAA Division I athletics in the America East Conference. The university emphasizes community, diversity, and support across residential life, arts and culture, and recreational activities.
UMBC welcomes both domestic and international students through undergraduate and graduate admissions pathways. The university offers financial aid, scholarships, and professional master's programs designed for working professionals, available in hybrid, online, and in-person formats at the main Catonsville campus and the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland.