Private nonprofit · College

McDaniel College

Westminster, Maryland · Fringe town

77.9%
Admit rate
$21,916
Avg net price
63%
Graduation rate
$60,663
Median earnings

McDaniel College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Westminster, Maryland (fringe town setting), enrolling 1,617 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,617 undergradsFringe townAccessible · 78% admitNCAA Division III with football · Centennial ConferenceCold winters

About Westminster, Maryland

Westminster is a city in and the county seat of Carroll County, Maryland, United States. William Winchester (1706-1790) purchased approximately 167 acres of land in the area in 1754, which became known as White's Level and later the town of Winchester. The Hashawha Tower is a windmill in Westminster. It stands at the Hashawha Environmental Center. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
30 miles
Nearest airport
33 miles to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) · major hub

How McDaniel College compares

Selectivity77.9%

More selective than 48% · #18 most selective of 28 in Maryland

Graduation rate63%

Higher than 65% · #15 of 31 in Maryland

First-year retention76%

Higher than 49%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,663

Higher than 69% · #17 of 28 in Maryland

Average net price$21,916

Cheaper than 41% · #20 cheapest of 29 in Maryland

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment1,617

Larger than 52%

Percentiles compare McDaniel College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Maryland.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,865students
  • Undergraduate1,61756%
  • Graduate1,24844%

Undergraduates by gender

1,617undergrads
  • Women83652%
  • Men78148%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White53%
  • Black24%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian2.1%
  • Other or multiracial10%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,617
Graduate enrollment
1,248
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
36%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$70,197
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$76,257
Endowment
$156,673,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
77.9%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$52,081
Room & board
$12,974
Books & supplies
$1,522
Total cost of attendance
$65,294
Average net price
$21,916

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 (within 6 years)
63%
Graduated on time (4 years)
56%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,879
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,663
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
58%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
73%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
56%
Low-income (Pell)
58%
First-generation
52%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,446
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
89%
Housing charge (year)
$5,908
Meal plan (year)
$7,190
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Centennial Conference
Varsity athletes
616 (391 men · 225 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 (15)

Football105
Lacrosse73
Soccer56
Track and Field (Outdoor)56
Track and Field (Indoor)54
Wrestling41
Baseball40
Basketball39
Cross Country26
Softball24
Swimming24
Field Hockey21
Volleyball20
Golf19
Tennis18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
25
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,868 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.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

10reported offenses a year
8.3 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
6.7
Fondling
1.7
Burglary
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

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.

< $30k
$12,210
$30–48k
$17,261
$48–75k
$19,796
$75–110k
$21,408
$110k+
$30,694

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$82,473

$19,796/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$35,719
average award, among those who get one

McDaniel College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $35,719. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 467 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)
$60,663
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
41%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$56,874
Men
$63,756

Men out-earn women by $6,882 (12%) 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
21°F
Annual rain
44.1″
Annual snow
28.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hanover 4 SW, PA US station (13 mi from campus).

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 McDaniel College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare McDaniel College side by side →

Colleges near McDaniel College

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.