TL;DR: The University of Maryland out-of-state acceptance rate was 45.5% for fall 2025, with 22,143 offers from 48,614 applications from outside Maryland, a count that includes international applicants, slightly above the 43.7% rate for Maryland residents (8,075 of 18,487), per the University of Maryland Common Data Set 2025-2026 (rates by our calculation). The overall rate was 45.0%, with 30,218 offers from 67,101 applications. Residency is a considered factor, but in our view the factors that most shape out-of-state outcomes are timing and major: the nonbinding November 1 Early Action deadline brings priority consideration and is the only route to merit scholarships, and Limited Enrollment Programs review applicants separately. For fall 2027 entry, the November 1, 2026 Early Action deadline has passed; students can still apply by January 20, 2027, but regular round admits are not considered for merit scholarships. UMD says it is test-optional through the spring and fall 2027 application cycles. For 2026-27, the estimated on-campus cost of attendance for a nonresident is $65,520. For out-of-state families weighing College Park, Oriel Admissions builds the major and timing strategy together: schedule a consultation.
What Is the University of Maryland Acceptance Rate for Out-of-State Students?
For fall 2025, Maryland admitted 22,143 of 48,614 out-of-state applicants, a 45.5% rate, and 8,075 of 18,487 Maryland residents, a 43.7% rate, per the University of Maryland Common Data Set 2025-2026. The Common Data Set reports residency by physical address at the time of application, and the in-state and out-of-state columns add up to the full pool of 67,101, so the out-of-state figure covers every applicant outside Maryland, including international students. These rates are by our calculation from the published counts. The same filing lists state residency as a considered factor and the interview and level of applicant interest as not considered. Yield is where residency shows: 4,133 admitted residents enrolled, against 2,426 admitted out-of-state students. In our view, for a strong nonresident applicant the 45.5% rate is a fair guide to admission to the university itself. Families comparing flagships with a larger residency gap should read our UNC Chapel Hill out-of-state guide.
| Fall 2025 first-year snapshot | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications | 67,101 |
| Offers of admission | 30,218 |
| Overall acceptance rate | 45.0% |
| Out-of-state acceptance rate (includes international) | 45.5% (22,143 of 48,614) |
| In-state acceptance rate | 43.7% (8,075 of 18,487) |
| Enrolled (in-state / out-of-state) | 4,133 / 2,426 |
| Testing policy (fall 2027 entry) | Test-optional through the spring and fall 2027 application cycles |
| Early plans (fall 2027 entry) | Nonbinding Early Action, November 1, 2026 (passed); no Early Decision |
Source: University of Maryland Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C1 residency breakdown; UMD Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Freshman Applicants. Rates are by our calculation from the published counts; Maryland’s Common Data Set reports no separate international column, so international applicants fall in the out-of-state row.
Why Is Early Action the Real Admissions Gate at Maryland?
Maryland’s freshman applicant page says it strongly encourages Early Action for priority consideration for admission, merit-based scholarships and invitations to special programs. The November 1 deadline is nonbinding, and students who submit a complete application by then receive a decision by February 1; for fall 2027 entry those dates are November 1, 2026, which has passed, and February 1, 2027. Its admission decision FAQs add a hard rule: admitted students who applied by the January 20 regular deadline (January 20, 2027 for fall 2027 entry) are not considered for merit scholarships, and merit candidates are notified by March 1, 2027, with final awards made no later than April 1, 2027. Regular decisions are released by April 1, 2027. For an out-of-state family, the operational conclusion is blunt: in our experience, a Maryland application that is not complete by November 1 is a materially weaker application, so juniors aiming for fall 2028 should plan around that date.
How Do Limited Enrollment Programs Change the Strategy?
Maryland says the preferred major selected on the application will not affect whether a student is admissible to the university. The exception is Limited Enrollment Programs, majors with limited space and more competitive criteria, where applicants are also reviewed by the specific program; while most students are admitted to their preferred major, some LEP applicants may not be. Students who are undecided, or who are working toward an LEP, start with Letters and Sciences advisors and must complete LEP gateway requirements, and the admission FAQs discourage requesting a change into an LEP after admission because it goes through a competitive review; for students placed in Letters and Sciences after applying to an LEP, the FAQs say “it is very rare that these decisions are reversed.” The pattern will be familiar to families who have read our guides to UC San Diego and Virginia Tech: in our experience, at many public flagships the major is where much of the competition lives.
What Does Maryland Cost an Out-of-State Family?
For 2026-27, the UMD Office of Student Financial Aid estimates on-campus costs for a non-Maryland resident of $42,266 in tuition, $1,820 in mandatory fees, $10,290 for housing and $7,180 for food, for a total cost of attendance of $65,520 including books, transportation and personal expenses. A Maryland resident pays $11,014 in tuition and $1,820 in fees, with a total of $34,268. Over four years, the nonresident estimate runs above $260,000 by an Oriel Admissions calculation, before any change in rates. Merit scholarships are the partial offset, and they are available only to students admitted from the Early Action round.
How Should Out-of-State Applicants Approach Maryland?
In our view, families should treat Maryland as a high-value target with one hard rule: complete the application by the November 1 Early Action deadline. For fall 2027 entry that date (November 1, 2026) has passed, so seniors who have not applied should submit a complete application by January 20, 2027, knowing that regular round admits are not considered for merit scholarships. The file should be built for the intended Limited Enrollment Program where relevant, with the activities record and short responses evidencing the major, and test scores submitted only when they strengthen the application. Because Early Action is nonbinding, a Maryland application coexists with a binding Early Decision bid at a private university, and on Mid-Atlantic lists it slots beside UVA, Virginia Tech and Penn State; the full comparison set sits in our guide to out-of-state acceptance rates.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Maryland Out-of-State Acceptance Rate
Not meaningfully. For fall 2025 the Common Data Set shows out-of-state applicants admitted at 45.5% and Maryland residents at 43.7%. In our view, the factors that move outcomes more are applying by the November 1 Early Action deadline and the competitiveness of the preferred major.
It was 45.5% for fall 2025, by an Oriel Admissions calculation from the Common Data Set: 22,143 offers from 48,614 out-of-state applications, which include international applicants. The overall rate was 45.0%.
For 2026-27, UMD estimates nonresident tuition of $42,266 and mandatory fees of $1,820, with a total on-campus cost of attendance of $65,520. Maryland residents have an estimated total of $34,268.
No, but it matters. Students who complete applications by the nonbinding November 1 deadline receive priority consideration for admission, merit scholarships and special programs, with decisions by February 1. For fall 2027 entry, the November 1, 2026 deadline has passed; students admitted from the January 20, 2027 regular deadline are not considered for merit scholarships.
They are majors with limited space and more competitive criteria. Applicants who choose one are also reviewed by the specific program, and while most students are admitted to their preferred major, some LEP applicants may not be. Changing into an LEP after admission requires a competitive review.
Yes. UMD says it is test-optional through the spring and fall 2027 application cycles, and students choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. The Common Data Set lists test scores as a considered factor when submitted.
Merit scholarships are available, but only to admitted students who applied by the November 1 Early Action deadline, which was November 1, 2026 for fall 2027 entry. UMD notifies merit candidates by March 1 and makes final awards no later than April 1, so in our view a complete early application is essential.
No. The University of Maryland Common Data Set 2025-2026 lists the interview and the level of applicant interest as not considered in admission decisions. In our view, the application competes on rigor, grades, the activities record and the short responses, and an Early Action submission matters for merit consideration.
Sources: University of Maryland Common Data Set 2025-2026, IRPA; UMD Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Freshman Applicants; UMD Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Freshman Admission Decision FAQs; UMD Limited Enrollment Programs; UMD Office of Student Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance; UMD Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Application Deadlines.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team brings deep expertise across every dimension of the application, and our distinctive 360 approach develops strategy, positioning, activities, essays, and interviews as one coherent whole. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
