UMGC Online: Cost and Outcomes (2026)
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- UMGC is a public Maryland university where 89% of undergraduates study online
- UMGC has open admission and bills you by the credit
- UMGC tuition is $337 a credit in Maryland and $499 out of state
- UMGC’s $23,144 net price rests on 45 students
- 32% of UMGC students earn a credential within eight years
- General studies, IT and business are UMGC’s largest fields
- Servicemembers pay $250 a credit at UMGC, with no technology fee
- Who UMGC fits, and the watch-outs
- Check your own aid before you apply to UMGC
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) charges $337 a credit for Maryland residents and $499 a credit for out-of-state students in 2026-27, and 32% of students who started in 2017-18 earned a credential within eight years. Active-duty servicemembers, National Guard and Selected Reserve members and their spouses and dependent children pay $250 a credit.
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Check my aidThe rates are from UMGC’s tuition page. The outcomes are from College Scorecard’s October 2026 data.
If you have seen the ads and wondered how online college even works, UMGC’s numbers show it at a public university. 89% of its undergraduates took every course online in fall 2024, 75% studied part-time, and 66% were 25 or older in fall 2023.
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UMGC is a public Maryland university where 89% of undergraduates study online
| Fact | UMGC |
|---|---|
| Control | Public |
| Accreditor | Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) |
| Location | Adelphi, MD |
| Former name | University of Maryland University College (through June 2019) |
| Undergraduates studying fully online (fall 2024) | 89% |
| Degree-seeking undergraduates (fall 2024) | 49,664 |
| Graduate students (fall 2024) | 10,825 |
| Undergraduates 25 or older (fall 2023) | 66% |
| Admission | Open admission; Scorecard publishes no admission rate |
| Federal school ID (UNITID) | 163204 |
MSCHE last reaffirmed UMGC’s accreditation on November 20, 2025.
UMGC has open admission and bills you by the credit
College Navigator lists an open admission policy, and Scorecard publishes no admission rate. You pay tuition for each credit you take, at the Maryland, out-of-state or military rate. 75% of undergraduates studied part-time in fall 2024, and UMGC counts 6 credits a semester as half-time for an undergraduate.
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Apply and answer the residency questions
The undergraduate application fee is $50. UMGC uses the residency questionnaire on the application to decide whether you pay the Maryland or the out-of-state rate.
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Send official transcripts for transfer credit
UMGC awards no transfer credit without official transcripts, and each course needs a C or better. Toward a bachelor’s it takes up to 70 credits from a two-year college or up to 90 from a four-year school or combined sources, and you complete 30 credits at UMGC.
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Register term by term
UMGC’s rate tables run by term: summer, fall, winter and spring. For 2026-27 the Maryland table covers fall 2026 to summer 2027 and the out-of-state and military tables summer 2026 to spring 2027. UMGC’s veterans page describes its eight-week sessions.
UMGC tuition is $337 a credit in Maryland and $499 out of state
Your rate depends on where you live and whether you serve. These are UMGC’s standard undergraduate rates for 2026-27, with the $15-a-credit technology fee. UMGC’s fee table says the fee does not apply to undergraduate military students.
| Rate | Tuition per credit | With the $15 fee | 30 credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland resident | $337 | $352 | $10,560 |
| Out of state | $499 | $514 | $15,420 |
| Military, spouses and dependent children | $250 | $250 (no fee) | $7,500 |
Example: you transfer in 90 credits, the most UMGC accepts toward a bachelor’s, and complete the 30 credits UMGC requires you to take there. At the Maryland rate that is 30 × $352 = $10,560. Out of state it is 30 × $514 = $15,420, and at the military rate 30 × $250 = $7,500.
The Maryland rate is $337 for fall 2026, winter 2027 and spring 2027, then $343 for summer 2027. It was $330 in spring 2026. The out-of-state rate was $499 in spring 2026 and stays $499 through spring 2027.
Scorecard lists $8,280 in tuition and fees for Maryland residents and $12,336 for out-of-state students for 2025-26. Those match 24 credits at that year’s rates ($330 and $499) plus the $15 fee, so a full year at your own credit load can cost more or less.
UMGC’s $23,144 net price rests on 45 students
Net price is the full cost of attendance, including housing and living costs, minus grants and scholarships. Scorecard’s average covers full-time, first-time undergraduates who got federal aid in 2024-25: 45 students at UMGC. College Navigator says only 2% of UMGC’s entering students counted as full-time and first-time in 2024.
Scorecard publishes the average for one income band only, families earning $0 to $30,000, at $23,144. The bands from $30,001 up are Not published.
The net price is higher than tuition because it counts living costs. UMGC’s own 2025-26 budget adds $28,392 a year in allowances for a student living on their own, on top of tuition.
For 2026-27, Pell pays up to $7,395 a year to eligible undergraduates, and 38% of UMGC undergraduates had a Pell Grant in 2024-25. Your own net price depends on your income, family size and state.
The aid check stacks Pell, state grants, campus aid and federal loan limits for your numbers, and shows the result before it asks for an email. UMGC’s financial aid office sets your actual offer.
32% of UMGC students earn a credential within eight years
| Measure | UMGC |
|---|---|
| Earned a credential within 8 years (all students who started in 2017-18) | 32% |
| Graduated within 6 years (first-time, full-time students, fall 2019 cohort) | 34% |
| Median earnings 6 years after starting | $62,126 |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting | $68,110 |
| Graduates’ median earnings 4 years after finishing | $87,025 |
| Graduates’ median federal loan debt | $19,000 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell Grant (2024-25) | 38% |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan (2024-25) | 19% |
College Navigator follows students who entered in 2016-17 in four groups and shows where those without a UMGC degree were eight years later. If you are bringing credits, the transfer rows are closer to your case. UMGC had 10,822 transfer-in undergraduates in fall 2024.
| Entered UMGC | Earned a UMGC bachelor's | Still enrolled at UMGC | Enrolled at another school |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time, first college | 13% | 2% | 44% |
| Part-time, first college | 6% | 3% | 39% |
| Full-time, transferring in | 49% | 2% | 22% |
| Part-time, transferring in | 26% | 3% | 35% |
Associate degrees add 3% to 8% in each group, and certificates 1% or less.
These are school-wide medians. Your payoff depends on the program, the job you target and what you pay.
General studies, IT and business are UMGC’s largest fields
These are the eight largest fields in Scorecard’s field-of-study file, by awards in 2023-24. All eight are offered fully online.
| Field and credential | Awards, 2023-24 | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (associate) | 2,543 | $56,881 | $9,500 |
| Information Science/Studies (bachelor's) | 1,654 | $100,208 | $16,491 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (master's) | 1,535 | $107,843 | $35,781 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (bachelor's) | 1,465 | $79,801 | $17,575 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (master's) | 895 | $130,314 | $32,380 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (bachelor's) | 865 | $100,937 | $20,492 |
| Psychology, General (bachelor's) | 676 | $58,439 | $18,713 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General (bachelor's) | 625 | $101,498 | $18,362 |
Field names are the federal Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) categories Scorecard uses, not UMGC’s program titles. Earnings are medians for graduates who finished in 2017-18 or 2018-19, four years after finishing. Debt is the median federal loan balance of those who finished in 2022-23 or 2023-24.
UMGC’s associate degree, the largest field above, is open to a limited group: its transfer page names military students, veterans and non-Maryland residents.
Servicemembers pay $250 a credit at UMGC, with no technology fee
UMGC’s military rate covers active-duty servicemembers, members of the Selected Reserve and the National Guard, the USPHS and NOAA Commissioned Corps, and the spouses and dependent children of each. You send proof of eligibility within 30 days of applying.
If you miss that deadline, UMGC moves you to the out-of-state rate, or to the in-state rate if your residency questionnaire qualifies you.
Veterans are not on that list. UMGC’s veterans page covers the in-state rule for veterans who live in Maryland and says UMGC takes part in the Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program.
UMGC enrolls a large military group. In 2023-24, 33,435 undergraduates used Defense Department Tuition Assistance and 8,610 used the Post-9/11 GI Bill there, according to College Navigator. For what the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays in 2026-27, see the GI Bill tuition cap, housing pay and chapters.
Who UMGC fits, and the watch-outs
It fits if
- You live in Maryland or serve. From fall 2026 to spring 2027, Maryland residents pay $337 a credit plus the fee and military students $250.
- You are bringing credits. UMGC accepts up to 90 transfer credits toward a bachelor’s, up to 70 of them from a two-year college, and counts credit for military service among the sources.
- You need to study part-time and online. 75% of undergraduates studied part-time and 89% took every course online in fall 2024.
Watch-outs
- 32% earn a UMGC award within eight years. That covers all students who started in 2017-18. In Navigator’s 2016-17 groups, 22% to 44% were enrolled at another school eight years later.
- Out of state costs more. With the fee, out-of-state students pay $514 a credit and Maryland residents $352.
- Thin cost data. The federal net price average covers 45 students, so ask UMGC for a written estimate at your rate.
- The military rate needs paperwork. Proof of eligibility is due within 30 days of applying.
Check your own aid before you apply to UMGC
UMGC’s averages describe what other students paid. The aid check applies the federal rules for the year you plan to start to your income and family, and shows the result before any email or school contact. UMGC’s financial aid office sets your actual offer.
To compare on the same measures, College Scorecard’s October 2026 data puts American Public University System at a 32% eight-year rate and $18,277 median debt, and Arizona State University Online at 41% and $19,151.
Our online degrees for working adults list compares ten schools, UMGC among them, and the school profiles hub lists every school we cover.
Degree Sources may refer readers to schools through partners. School matching is optional and comes after you see your aid result. The figures here come from federal data and UMGC’s own pages, and this profile does not rank schools.
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Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard: University of Maryland Global Campus (UNITID 163204)
- College Scorecard data files, October 15, 2026 release
- College Scorecard data dictionary: field definitions and cohort years
- NCES College Navigator: University of Maryland Global Campus (enrollment and distance education fall 2024, age fall 2023, outcome measures, military benefits 2023-24)
- University of Maryland Global Campus: tuition rates and fees, 2026-27
- University of Maryland Global Campus: Spring 2026 tuition (archive)
- University of Maryland Global Campus: military tuition rate eligibility
- University of Maryland Global Campus: education benefits for veterans
- University of Maryland Global Campus: qualifying for in-state rates
- University of Maryland Global Campus: cost of attendance, 2025-26
- University of Maryland Global Campus: transfer credit requirements
- University of Maryland Global Campus Help Center: transferring undergraduate credits
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education: University of Maryland Global Campus, Statement of Accreditation Status
- Federal Student Aid, 2026-27 Federal Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts
Related Resources
American Public University System: Cost and Outcomes (2026)
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Arizona State University Online: Cost and Outcomes (2026)
ASU Online: 43% of students finish within 8 years and graduates owe a median $19,500. Scorecard lists no tuition or net price for the online unit.
Best Online Degrees for Working Adults in 2026
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