Howard Community College
Howard Community College is a public community college in Columbia, MD, with about 6,598 students on campus and 1,942 more studying only online.
What to know about Howard Community College
A lower graduation rate than at most 2-year colleges
Only 24% of students graduate within three years, fewer than at 95% of 2-year colleges. 69% of first-year students come back for a second year. Most students here study part-time, and the rate only counts first-time, full-time students. Outcomes ↓
Most students study part-time
69% of undergraduates attend part-time, and 27% are 25 or older. The students ↓
Loan payments are a small share of pay
The typical graduate owes $10,500, about $111 a month over ten years. That’s 3.4% of a typical former student’s monthly pay six years after starting. Outcomes ↓
Howard Community College is mostly about liberal arts
55% of the degrees Howard Community College awards are in liberal arts; the next biggest field, health professions, is 24%. Majors ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$111 a month against about $3,266 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 30% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Howard Community College?
anyone with a high school diploma can enroll
Test scores of admitted students
No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Howard Community College is likely test-optional.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $16,774 a year
Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $9,624
After grants, the average family on aid pays $11,133.
Tuition and fees are $4,080 a year. The net price also counts housing, food and other costs at full price, so a student living at home pays less than it shows.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $24,396 over 2 years · 27% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Associate degree programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
6,649 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Columbia
8% of Columbia’s 104,338 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Columbia pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Howard Community College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.