Public · La Plata, Maryland

College of Southern Maryland

College of Southern Maryland is a public institution in La Plata, Maryland. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$9,204
Avg net price / yr
$44,435
10-yr median earnings
33.2%
150%-time completion

The verdict

College of Southern Maryland posts above-median former-student earnings.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 41%
former-student earnings, US
33.2%
150%-time completion
+19%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Rural: Fringe Carnegie: Associate's
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this College of Southern Maryland profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

C
College Value Score
57/100
College of Southern Maryland

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings C
$44,435
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price A-
$9,204
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
33.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt A-
$8,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment D
58.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention N/A
N/A
First-year students returning for year two
College of Southern Maryland vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$44,435

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$9,204

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

33.2%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 33.2%

Less-than-four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - College of Southern Maryland vs peers

College of Southern Maryland positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. College of Southern Maryland positioned by e… Carnegie Classification: Associate's Associate's COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $31K $65K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $8K $38K Avg Net Price ($) College of Southern Maryland (you are here): $44K earn · $9K net · 33% grad You are here - College of Souther… Frederick Community College: $46K earn · $9K net · 36% grad Frederick Communit… Bowie State University: $55K earn · $19K net · 38% grad Bowie State Univer… Baltimore City Community College: $36K earn · $16K net · 14% grad Baltimore City Com… Harford Community College: $45K earn · $9K net · 39% grad Harford Community … Salisbury University: $62K earn · $18K net · 68% grad Salisbury University Hair Academy II: $43K earn · $23K net · 52% grad DeVry University-Virginia: $46K earn · $37K net Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How College of Southern Maryland ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

College of Southern Maryland: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$44,435 Top 41% higher than 59% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric College of Southern Maryland National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $44,435 #2077 of 5103 59th
Average net price $9,204 #992 of 5020 80th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 33.2% #4088 of 4858 16th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,512 #811 of 5462 85th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

4,512
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
33.2%
150%-time completion
$44,435
10-yr median earnings
-
First-year retention

How College of Southern Maryland ranks in Maryland

State rank among 66 reporting Maryland colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric College of Southern Maryland State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $44,435 #35 of 66 47th
Average net price $9,204 #8 of 69 88th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 33.2% #51 of 67 24th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,512 #14 of 74 81st

Highest former-student earnings in Maryland

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1University of Maryland Baltimore$88,174-
2Johns Hopkins University$87,555$18,809
3Capitol Technology University$85,035$22,102
4University of Maryland-College Park$82,860$15,678
5Loyola University Maryland$82,652$30,574
6University of Maryland-Baltimore County$69,960$16,467
7Ner Israel Rabbinical College$66,330$13,572
8Washington College$65,518$27,898
9Notre Dame of Maryland University$65,344$19,169
10University of Maryland Global Campus$65,287$22,063
11Towson University$64,390$17,413
12Washington Adventist University$64,249$18,526
35College of Southern MarylandThis school$44,435$9,204

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at College of Southern Maryland

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at College of Southern Maryland - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $4,200
Out-of-State Tuition $10,050
Average Net Price $9,204
25.9%
Pell Grant Rate
46.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$8,500
Median Debt
$90/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at College of Southern Maryland swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $6,873 to $9,867 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +13.4%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.

Lowest year
$6,873
Highest year
$9,867
Most recent (2023)
$9,867
Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $8,7042014: $8,2662015: $8,9122016: $8,1132017: $8,3072018: $7,6212019: $8,2052020: $6,8732021: $7,7242022: $8,0282023: $9,867
2013 · $8,7042023 · $9,867

Over the same years, enrollment went -47.1% (8,358 → 4,422 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

63.8%
Female
45.1%
First Generation

Outcomes

$37,269
Median Earnings (6yr)
53.0%
Earning Over $25K
58.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 33.2%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $37,269
Median earnings 10 years after entry $44,435
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 53.0%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 58.1%
Median federal student debt At completion $8,500
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $90/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Associate's 5 669 $69,168 $81,793 $10,450
Certificate 1 413 $50,845 $50,845 $8,262

Top programs at College of Southern Maryland by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Engineering, General Associate's 30 $81,793 -
Computer and Information Sciences, General Associate's 43 $80,349 -
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 102 $77,355 $9,900
Business/Commerce, General Associate's 79 $62,074 -
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Certificate 413 $50,845 $8,262
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's 415 $44,271 $11,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for College of Southern Maryland?
College of Southern Maryland is a public institution in La Plata, Maryland. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,512 students.
How much do College of Southern Maryland former students earn?
Federally aided former students at College of Southern Maryland who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $44,435 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $37,269.
How much does College of Southern Maryland cost?
The average net price at College of Southern Maryland is $9,204. In-state tuition is $4,200 and out-of-state tuition is $10,050. Median student debt at graduation is $8,500.
What is the graduation rate at College of Southern Maryland?
College of Southern Maryland has a 33.2% completion rate within 150% of normal program time at a less-than-four-year institution.
Is College of Southern Maryland worth the student debt?
The median student debt at College of Southern Maryland is $8,500, while former students earn a median of $44,435 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 19% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 58.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $90.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from College of Southern Maryland

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.