Getting in
For Fall 2025, 14,802 first-year students applied to UMBC, 10,949 were admitted and 2,271 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 74%.
Source: UMBC Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 11,675 | 8,879 | 76.1% |
| Out-of-state | 1,886 | 1,148 | 60.9% |
| International | 1,241 | 922 | 74.3% |
Source: UMBC Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. UMBC's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by college or major.
Source: UMBC Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early action. UMBC has no early decision plan. The Common Data Set lists a nonbinding, non-restrictive early action plan (closing November 1, notification December 15) but gives no early action counts, so it gives no early round acceptance rate.
Source: UMBC Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to UMBC as a whole. Some programs ask for more:
- Visual and performing arts majors. Acting and dance applicants audition, music applicants apply and audition, and visual arts applicants send a portfolio, each on its own dates and deadlines.
- Honors College. Answer "Yes" to the Honors College question in the Common App's Academics section and complete the additional required writing supplement.
Source: UMBC Undergraduate Admissions, How to Apply as a First-Year Student (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Source: UMBC Undergraduate Admissions, Dates & Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
58 majors across 1 school. Every bachelor's degree major in UMBC's official 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, listed A to Z as the catalog lists them, with the degree it leads to. Minors, certificates, pre-professional tracks and graduate programs are left out.
Majors, A to Z58
- Acting (B.F.A.)
- Africana Studies (B.A.)
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Ancient Studies (B.A.)
- Asian Studies (B.A.)
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B.S.)
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (B.S.)
- Biological Sciences (B.A.)
- Biological Sciences (B.S.)
- Biology Education (B.A.)
- Business Technology Administration (B.A.)
- Chemical Engineering (B.S.)
- Chemistry Education (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.S.)
- Computer Engineering (B.S.)
- Computer Science (B.S.)
- Cultural Anthropology (B.A.)
- Dance (B.A.)
- Design (B.F.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- Emergency and Disaster Health Systems (B.S.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Science and Geography (B.S.)
- Financial Economics (B.S.)
- Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies (B.A.)
- Geography and Environmental Studies (B.A.)
- Global Studies (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Individualized Study (B.A.)
- Individualized Study (B.S.)
- Information Systems (B.S.)
- Jazz Studies (B.A.)
- Management of Aging Services (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)
- Media and Communication Studies (B.A.)
- Middle Grades STEM (B.S.)
- Modern Languages and Linguistics (B.A.)
- Music Composition (B.A.)
- Music Performance (B.A.)
- Music Teaching and Learning (B.A.)
- Music Technology (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics Education (B.A.)
- Physics (B.S.)
- Political Science (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.S.)
- Public Health (B.A.)
- Social Work (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Statistics (B.S.)
- Theatre (B.A.)
- Translational Life Science Technology (B.S.)
- Visual Arts (B.A.)
- Visual Arts (B.F.A.)
Source: UMBC 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Academic Programs A-Z (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Action | November 1 | Letters sent beginning in December | No |
| Regular Decision | February 1 | Letters sent beginning in February | No |
The Honors College has a priority deadline of November 1 and a regular deadline of February 1, with its decisions released separately.
Source: UMBC Undergraduate Admissions, Dates & Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
SAT or ACT scores are optional at UMBC. If you graduated from a U.S. high school within the past three years, you may have the testing agency send your results. UMBC publishes its 25th to 75th percentile SAT range, 1240 to 1420, so you can judge whether your scores would help your application.
Source: UMBC Undergraduate Admissions, How to Apply as a First-Year Student (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for admission but considered if submitted, for fall 2027 applicants, with scores due by February 1.
Source: UMBC Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked UMBC's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: UMBC Undergraduate Admissions, Dates & Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at UMBC, 2026-2027:
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $14,086 | $34,183 |
| Housing (on campus) | $9,248 | $9,428 |
| Food | $6,490 | $6,490 |
| Books | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| Transportation | $1,900 | $1,900 |
| Other | $7,546 | $7,546 |
| Direct Loan fee | $142 | $142 |
| PLUS Loan fee | $1,264 | $1,264 |
| Total | $42,276 | $62,553 |
For a full-time undergraduate living on campus, per year. UMBC's page gives an in-state total of $42,456, which is $180 above the sum of its own items; its in-state housing figure ($9,248) differs from the out-of-state one ($9,428). Tuition and fees are estimates based on proposed rates.
Source: UMBC Financial Aid, 2026-2027 Undergraduate Cost of Attendance (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $5,087 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,714 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $16,543 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $22,172 |
| Over $110,000 | $25,439 |
| All incomes | $16,467 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from UMBC's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to University of Maryland, Baltimore County on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Morgan State UniversityBaltimore, MD · Public82.2% admitted$14,985 average net price
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC · Public77.8% admitted$15,435 average net price
Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA · Public79.4% admitted$15,048 average net price
University of DelawareNewark, DE · Public72.6% admitted$17,799 average net price
James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA · Public68.8% admitted$23,322 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.