Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop · Photo: FlugKerl2 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Columbia
Columbia is home to two colleges, with 7,673 students on campus
Howard Community College (6,598 students on campus) and Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia (1,075) are inside the town. About 8% of Columbia’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland (7%).
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Columbia. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
13
42,578 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Howard
Residents in college
8%
About the same as MD (7%)
Nearest community college
1.3 mi
Howard · $4,080 tuition
Nearest public university
8.8 mi
University of Maryland-Baltimore County · $13,256 in-state
Median household income
$131K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Columbia
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at Over $110k, where Columbia’s median household income ($131,490) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Columbia: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
University of Maryland-Baltimore County70% graduate$70k earnings$20k typical debt
Howard Community College24% graduate$49k earnings$10k typical debt
Bowie State University38% graduate$55k earnings$23k typical debt
Baltimore City Community College17% graduate$36k earnings
University of Baltimore38% graduate$61k earnings$23k typical debt
Coppin State University26% graduate$46k earnings$25k typical debt
Maryland Institute College of Art72% graduate$45k earnings$26k typical debt
Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia68% graduate$39k earnings*$11k typical debt
Ner Israel Rabbinical College24% graduate$66k earnings
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia (8).
Majors
What students study in Columbia
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Columbia’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Liberal arts 46%Health professions 21%Business 9%Engineering tech 5%Construction trades 4%Mechanics & repair 3%Everything else 13%
Biggest programs
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesHoward Community College · 665 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHoward Community College · 151 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, GeneralHoward Community College · 62 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Management Information Systems and ServicesHoward Community College · 60 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHoward Community College · 46 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralHoward Community College · 29 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsHoward Community College · 13 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Questions about college in Columbia
Is Columbia a college town?
No. About 8 of every 100 Columbia residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Maryland (7). The largest campus in the town, Howard Community College, has 6,598 students on campus.
What colleges are in Columbia?
Howard Community College and Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia are inside the town.
What is the closest community college to Columbia, and what does it cost?
Howard Community College in Columbia, 1.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,080 a year for Maryland residents; the federal net price, $11,133, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does the University of Maryland-Baltimore County cost if we live in Maryland?
Tuition and fees are $13,256 a year in-state and $31,275 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $5,087 (under $30,000 income) to $25,439 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Columbia. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop · Photo: FlugKerl2 · CC BY-SA 3.0