The College Precipice

Elizabeth Zuzarte, a Loyola graduate assistant at the Fitness and Aquatic Center in Baltimore, values higher education. The daughter of immigrants, Zuzarte feels that there is a lot of value in what college can offer.

“I will start off by saying I am a huge supporter of academia and higher education. As the daughter of first-generation Americans who came here and went to college, there was a lot of value in what college can offer,” says Zuzarte.

But not everyone shares Zuzarte’s perspective. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over the last decade, the United States has experienced a 15-percent decline in enrollment of students in colleges across the country. Although COVID-19 excelerated those numbers, the decline was taking place prior to the pandemic.

There are a number of reasons for this decline. The financial burden of paying for school and the perceived value of a college diploma have sparked discussion regarding individuals’ choice to attend a college or university.

Zuzarte attributes a large portion of the recent decline to the COVID-19 pandemic. She finds that since the pandemic, society (and young people in particular) have learned that many things can be done remotely and on your own timeline.

“I think a big piece of the decline is that colleges need to rediscover why they’re important, and find a clearer way to show that to a student,” Zuzarte says. “If I was to attribute this decline of college admissions, it would be that schools aren’t doing a great job of demonstrating the value that they bring outside of the [earning] aspect.”

Beyond the perception of what a college degree can mean for an individual student and the financial lift of paying for school, there is a factor impacting college enrollment that has nothing to do with societal factors. Known as the “Generational Cliff,” it is a demographic shift (attributed to lower recent birth rates) that will result in a decline in traditional-age students. Projected to start this year, the number of new high-school graduates is expected to fall by about 13 percent by 2041.

Laura Serico, associate director of college counseling at The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, explains that colleges are definitely aware of the generational cliff, also referred to as the enrollment cliff.

“Admissions and enrollment teams are concerned, and institutions will need to work harder to meet their goals each year,” Serico explains. “We are already seeing colleges make early adjustments, such as cutting under-enrolled majors and minors. To me, this is less a sign of trouble and more a sign that schools are being thoughtful and intentional with their budgets as they adjust to a changing landscape.”

Serico continues that it is difficult to predict the long-term implications of this demographic nose dive because higher education has shifted so much over the past decade, and even more in the past five years following the pandemic. Those shifts mean that schools may already have been contracting and closing, particularly those institutions with few endowment resources and low student numbers. And according to the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution, the gloom and doom is not quite as dire as headlines would have one believe. Their research indicates that less than colleges actually shutting the campus gates, the impact of the enrollment cliff will be contraction and elimination of specific programs.

“What feels clear is that colleges and universities will need to be increasingly creative to stay strong,” says Serico. “Several local institutions are doing this already by forming new partnerships and launching programs like fast-track, combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees to attract students.”

While colleges and universities may be eyeing changing demographics, a problem that looms large for families is the cost of a college education. The National Center for Education Statistics states that average tuition and fees in 2022–23 at a fouryear institution were $9,800 for public school and $40,700 for private. Understanding the financial implications of college is an important part of the role counselors and others assisting with the college admissions process play. And there are ways to strategize to maximize one’s investment; Serico notes that some students opt for community colleges to reduce costs, then successfully transfer to four-year institutions, often graduating on schedule but at a fraction of the tuition cost.

Between the shifting perceptions of whether a college degree is “right” for a student as well as demographic changes and the ongoing question of how to pay for higher education, Jenny Glick, anchor and reporter at WTOP News Radio and an instructor at Loyola University Maryland acknowledges that these are trying times for colleges and universities.

“We have the added concern of some universities worried about losing federal funding, which is really, really big,” says Glick.

But Glick takes exception to the idea that a college degree isn’t worth what it once was, saying that studies still show that over the course of a graduate’s life, those with a degree make more than students who don’t go to college. Research by the Social Security Administration shows men with bachelor’s degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high-school graduates and women earn $630,000 more. (Add a graduate degree and the lifetime earnings potential exceeds $1 million.)

In addition, Glick notes that the college experience is more than just a return-on-investment equation. “College teaches you more than academics,” she says. “It teaches you social skills and how to relate when you have conflict. Academics are definitely one of the main reasons, but this idea that you can learn just as much online at home in your bedroom to me is absolutely ridiculous.”

As to what this all means for students embarking on their college search, Serico is cautious about reading her crystal ball. “This year will be the first year where student outcomes are affected by the enrollment cliff, so the exact impact is hard to predict,” she says, noting that outcomes are further complicated because some schools that went test-optional during the pandemic are now reversing course. “Some institutions will need to adjust their admissions strategies to fill their classes, which could result in unexpected admissions decisions for students over the next few years.”

For her part, Serico doesn’t see a need for families and students to dramatically rethink their search and application process (though she does note that colleges may rely more on early decision applications since they guarantee matriculations). In general, she sees that families have become far more savvy higher education consumers than generations past. She concludes that “Each student’s search is unique, but academic, social, and financial fit should remain the priority over prestige.”

ANNUAL COLLEGE GUIDE

If you’re looking for more information on the college search look no further. Here’s our guide to regional schools that includes everything you need to know to start making informed decisions.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

Bowie State University in Prince George’s County began with a mission to provide educational opportunities for Black citizens and, more than a century after opening, has consistently ranked among the best HBCUs in the country, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as specialty certificates and doctoral programs.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 5,136*
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 15:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $9,529**
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 78 percent

COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY
A historically Black institution founded in 1900, Coppin State University is situated in the heart of Baltimore City in the Mondawmin neighborhood. Part of the University System of Maryland in Baltimore, the school offers numerous undergraduate, graduate, and certificate degrees. It’s been rated in the Top 50 Best HBCUs in the Nation (College Consensus), the Top 5 Best Value Online Schools in Maryland (Online School Center), and No. 7 Best Colleges in Maryland by Salary Score (GradReports).

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,907
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 12:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $7,100
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 46 percent

FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
For those who want to escape to the Appalachian Mountains while still benefitting from the low cost of in-state tuition, Frostburg State University in Western Maryland offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, as well as miles of wilderness areas nearby to explore.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,619
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $7,414
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 89 percent

GOUCHER COLLEGE

A private, liberal arts college spanning 287 wooded acres in Towson, Goucher College takes pride in its close-knit community and leadership in global education. One hundred percent of Goucher students study abroad, and the college offers more than 60 flexible programs around the world for students to develop international experience.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 981
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $53,350
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 78 percent

HOOD COLLEGE
This private institution founded in 1893 is located within walking distance of downtown Frederick, a great college town, with the advantage of close proximity to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It excels in graduate programs in business, STEM, the humanities, health care, and education.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,198
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 10:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $49,380
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 78 percent

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Johns Hopkins University offers nine academic divisions and hundreds of courses of study, with campuses spread throughout Baltimore, including the Peabody Institute, a music and dance conservatory in Mount Vernon. Its main Homewood campus is located on North Charles Street.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,356
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 6:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $67,170
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 6 percent

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND
This private, Jesuit institution offers undergraduate and graduate programs on a beautiful urban campus on 81 acres in northern Baltimore City. Education at Loyola is based in the Jesuit tradition of scholarship, cura personalis, or care for the whole person. Loyola is known for its academic rigor, while helping students lead purposeful lives.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 3,881
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 12:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $59,150
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 75 percent

MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART (MICA)
Located in the heart of Baltimore, MICA is the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the nation. According to U.S. News & World Report, it ranks among one of the top schools for its fine arts, graphic design, painting, drawing, and sculpture programs. MICA also offers graduate level degree programs including Master of Fine Art, Master of Business Administration Art, and Master of Professional Studies.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,153
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $56,500
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 77 percent

McDANIEL COLLEGE
Founded in 1867, McDaniel College sits in a bucolic setting near Westminster in Carroll County. The private, four-year liberal arts college offers more than 70 undergraduate programs of study and more than 20 graduate programs.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,631
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $54,125
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 78 percent

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
The largest of Maryland’s HBCUs, Morgan is a public institution founded in 1867. It is situated in northeast Baltimore. As a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, Morgan provides instruction to a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational student body and offers academic programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. The school recently received one of its largest gifts ever, $63 million from philanthropist McKenzie Scott.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 9,027
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 17:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $8,346
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 82 percent

MOUNT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Located in rural, mountainous Emmitsburg on a massive 1,500-acre campus, “The Mount” is America’s second oldest Catholic university. It offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, minors, concentrations and special programs grounded in Catholic liberal arts tradition, and several bachelor’s/master’s combinations in partnership with other universities. As an extra bonus, the school offers a rich NCAA division I athletic program.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,833
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $50,200
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 74 percent

NOTRE DAME OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY
Established in 1895, Notre Dame is a private, Catholic university founded in the liberal arts with the mission to educate leaders who transform the world. NDMU is located on a wooded, 60-acre campus in Baltimore, just minutes from all the opportunities and resources the city offers. There are more than 50 undergraduate programs spanning disciplines from fine arts and humanities to the natural and social sciences to business and communication, along with a leading graduate program in education.

NDMU is paving the way in health sciences with nationally accredited under-grad and graduate programs in nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, and integrative health.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,393
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
• AVERAGE NET TUITION & FEES: $10,299
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 84.6 percent

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
This petite college tucked into historic downtown Annapolis is the third oldest college in the U.S. It ranks high as a national liberal arts powerhouse as well as a best value school and best for undergraduate teaching. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs are based in a unique books and discussion-based format where students study original writings of great thinkers across 3,000 years of history.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 474
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 7:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $42,317
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 55 percent

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF MARYLAND
A state institution founded in 1840, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is located on 361 acres in rural Southern Maryland. It is also known for having one of the lowest student-to-faculty ratios in the U.S. While its waterfront campus in historic St. Mary’s has the feel of a private institution, it offers all the affordability, accessibility, and diversity of a public school.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,632
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 10:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $15,236
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 69 percent

SALISBURY UNIVERSITY
For those who want to be close to the ocean, Salisbury University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs at its campus in Salisbury, about a 40-minute drive from Ocean City. A public institution, Salisbury is a NCAA Division III Capital Athletic Conference school.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,288
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 14:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $11,084
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 87 percent

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY
Stevenson University is a liberal arts school on a suburban campus in Baltimore County. It offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and preprofessional programs, as well as its bachelor’s-to-master’s option, which allows students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The school is growing, having recently opened a 117-acre recreational and athletic hub on its Owings Mills campus.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 3,106
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 15:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $41,270
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 79 percent

TOWSON UNIVERSITY
One of the largest public universities in the state, Towson University offers more than 110 undergraduate majors, 47 master’s degrees, six doctoral programs, and 36 graduate certificates. The university continues to draw students from other states, though it remains part of the University System of Maryland.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 16,264
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 14:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $12,186
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 82 percent

UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE
The University of Baltimore is situated in Mount Vernon, a Baltimore neighborhood rich in art, architecture, and history. UB has gained a solid reputation for its law and business programs, but it offers a wide spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degrees and doctoral programs, with an intense focus on connecting students to community and jobs, ensuring a sustainable career path post-graduation.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,477
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 10:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $10,200
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 79 percent

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE
The University of Maryland, Baltimore is the state’s only public law, health, and human services university. Located in downtown Baltimore, it offers 90 degree and certificate programs through its six nationally-ranked professional schools—dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work—and the interdisciplinary School of Graduate Studies.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,784
• ANNUAL TUITION: Varies by program

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY (UMBC)
UMBC educates a student population of more than 10,000 students in programs spanning the arts, engineering, information technology, humanities, sciences, preprofessional studies, and social sciences. Located on the edge of Baltimore County, it allows easy access into the city and all the conveniences of suburban life and housing. UMBC is recognized as a diverse campus with a size that is large enough to provide a wealth of experience without being so large as to reduce personal attention.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 10,490
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 17:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $13,256
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 72 percent

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, EASTERN SHORE
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), the State’s Historically Black 1890 LandGrant Institution, is a teaching, research, and doctoral institution that nurtures and launches leaders in a student-centered environment. Located on over 1,000 acres in Princess Anne, UMES recently received one of its largest gifts ever, $38 million from philanthropist McKenzie Scott. UMES is home to many unique programs and partnerships in health sciences, agricultural and environmental sciences, and renewable energy research and implementation.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,476
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 11:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $9,076
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 96 percent

* Student body size is undergraduate unless otherwise noted.
** Cited tuition costs are in-state tuition (where applicable); costs may exclude room and board, books, and other fees.
*** School data sourced from U.S. News & World Report.