Students discuss value of UMD tuition

By Morgan Eichensehr on October 23, 2013

Students may pay between $23,000 to $41,000 a year to go attend college at the University of Maryland.

Students interviewed said that University of Maryland tuition can be pricey for out-of-state students especially, but is generally “a pretty good deal.”

The average cost of tuition for UMD undergrads is about $8,909 for in-state students and $27,288 for out-of-state students, according to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. And when adding elements like, book prices, a meal plan and on-campus housing, the average price of a UMD education rises to $23,094 and $41,473 respectively.

Sophomore Ashley Feng said she thinks the costs and benefits of UMD tuition depend a lot on where students are from and what they plan to study.

“When you compare [UMD] to other public schools in New Jersey, where I’m from, it would be considered a bargain,” said Feng. “And for me, as a government and politics major the proximity to D.C. is unbeatable.”

UMD was ranked fifth among the “10 Best Values in Public Colleges” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

“Maryland jumped several slots on our overall list this year” read the Kiplinger article.

The magazine attributed the increase in value to an improved four-year graduation rate and only a minimal increase in total cost over the past year. Kiplinger also noted that UMD’s prime location along with a “top-notch faculty” and “strong student body” made the school attractive to incoming students.

Still, some students are disappointed in the high prices of their UMD education.

Former UMD student William Gair had to transfer to a college back in his home state of Florida because he could not afford to keep paying UMD’s out-of-state tuition.

“Like any university, it makes the bulk of its profit on out-of-state students,” said Gair. “For someone who is in-state, I’m sure it would be a worthwhile expenditure, but for out-of-staters it can be a stretch.”

According to OUA, as of fall 2012, the number of undergrads at UMD was about 26,538. About 75 percent of them were in-state students and 25 percent out-of-state. That means that UMD makes about $177 million on in-state students and about $181 million from out-of-state students on tuition costs alone.

Sophomore Spanish major Theresa Brecker said that it is nice to be paying in-state tuition and she that she thinks UMD is a good school overall, but she is sometimes upset by how high the prices can be.

“Some of the fees we pay don’t even directly benefit a lot of students,” said Brecker. “For example, part of our fees is for Eppley Rec Center, but if you never work out there, all of that money is a waste for you.”

Kiplinger estimates the average UMD student graduates with about $25,180 in debt.

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