Public · Community college
College of Southern Maryland
La Plata, Maryland · Fringe rural
- 19%
- Transfer rate
- $9,204
- Avg net price
- 33%
- Grad / completion
- $44,435
- Median earnings
College of Southern Maryland is a public certificate-granting institution in La Plata, Maryland (fringe rural setting), enrolling 4,512 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About La Plata, Maryland
La Plata is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. According to an unconfirmed local story, the town was named by one Colonel Samuel Chapman, whose family owned 6,000 acres (24 km2) of land in Charles County. The Colonel traveled to South America with his son George, who had contracted tuberculosis, in search of a cure. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 24 miles to Washington, DC
- To the ocean
- 5 miles
- Nearest airport
- 20 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub
How College of Southern Maryland compares
Higher than 16% · #30 of 38 in Maryland
Higher than 35%
Higher than 82% · #8 of 38 in Maryland
Cheaper than 73% · #8 cheapest of 40 in Maryland
Lower than 70%
Lower than 49%
Larger than 90%
Percentiles compare College of Southern Maryland with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Maryland.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,87764%
- Men1,63536%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White42%
- Black31%
- Hispanic10%
- Asian4.1%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 4,512
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 26%
- First-generation students
- 45%
- Students over 25
- 25%
- Median family income
- $29,723
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $83,907
- Endowment
- $11,502,569
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,200
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,050
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,000
- Total cost of attendance
- $13,681
- Average net price
- $9,204
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 33%
- First-year retention
- 66%
- Transferred to another college
- 19%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $37,269
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,435
- Median debt at graduation
- $8,500
- Students with federal loans
- 46%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 39%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 127 (73 men · 54 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (5,062 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 25% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,059. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 605 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $44,435
- Typical debt at graduation
- $8,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 19%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 50%
Typical debt would take roughly 1.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $6,972 (17%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 25°F
- Annual rain
- 48.1″
- Annual snow
- 15.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mechanicsville 5 NE, MD US station (16 mi from campus).
What College of Southern Maryland graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to College of Southern Maryland
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare College of Southern Maryland side by side →
Harford Community College
Bel Air, Maryland · Fringe rural · 26 mi to Baltimore
- Students
- 3,696
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 21%
- Earnings
- $45k
Frederick Community College
Frederick, Maryland · Small city · 43 mi to Washington
- Students
- 4,203
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 24%
- Earnings
- $46k
Howard Community College
Columbia, Maryland · Midsize city · 15 mi to Baltimore
- Students
- 6,649
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 26%
- Earnings
- $49k
Hagerstown Community College
Hagerstown, Maryland · Midsize suburb · 60 mi to Washington
- Students
- 2,948
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $42k
Prince George's Community College
Largo, Maryland · Large suburb · 11 mi to Washington
- Students
- 8,815
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $48k
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland · Large suburb · 17 mi to Baltimore
- Students
- 8,997
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near College of Southern Maryland
Washington University of Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 400 students
Strayer University-Maryland
Baltimore, MD · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 1,043 students
Hair Academy II
Hillcrest Heights, MD · Private for-profit · Certificate · 218 students
DeVry University-Virginia
Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 13 students
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA · Public · Associate · 33,048 students
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Lafayette-Arlington
Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 166 students
Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage
Falls Church, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 101 students
Strayer University-Virginia
Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 1,668 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.