The Best Business Programs in Maryland for 2027

Towson University's Business Administration degree offers a concentration in Entrepreneurship, open to all business majors, that combines creativity, innovation and business strategy. Students learn to evaluate ideas, develop business models, manage through uncertainty and pitch their work. Electives let them tailor the concentration, for example toward a social mission. The page also describes a university-wide minor drawing on more than 50 entrepreneurship and innovation courses, and a stackable certificate of 4 courses that can count toward the minor or concentration. Business administration is a screened major: students are admitted to the major after completing required courses with a C or higher in each and an overall Towson GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Federal data show a 69% graduation rate and an 82% admit rate at Towson, with enrollment of 19,401. In-state tuition is $7,530, compared with $25,622 for out-of-state students. The program has a Program Score of 84.1 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits Maryland residents looking for a lower-cost public business degree, and students who want a path toward startup, consulting or product roles while keeping general business coursework.

University of Maryland Global Campus offers a Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Management, a 36-credit program with all courses available online and some hybrid options. Students can transfer up to 12 credits. The curriculum has a non-credit orientation course, 12 credits in accounting, 12 in financial management, 9 in electives and a 3-credit capstone. Core courses include Financial Reporting and Analysis for Accountants, Managerial Accounting Data Analytics, Tax Compliance and Planning, Auditing and Attestation, Fintech and Decision Making and Strategic Financial Management. UMGC reports recognition from the Institute of Internal Auditors through its Internal Audit Academic Alliance and from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners through its Anti-Fraud Education Partnership. The school states the program is not specifically designed to prepare students for the CPA license.

UMGC is open admission, and federal data show a 33% graduation rate, which reflects a large online population of working adults. The program has a Program Score of 82.7 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking here. It fits working professionals who want to move into executive-level accounting and finance decisions, particularly those interested in internal audit or fraud examination, rather than students whose main goal is CPA licensure.

McDaniel College's Business Administration major builds a core in finance, marketing, accounting, data analytics, communication and strategy, then lets students specialize in one of five focal areas: entrepreneurship, finance, international business, leadership and management, or marketing. The page lists a capstone as a distinctive requirement, a B.A./M.S. pathway, and on-campus interviews held annually. Students can add minors in accounting, economics, management, marketing, entrepreneurship or sports management, or double major in accounting, economics or marketing. The college highlights its internship program and pre-law advising, and reports a 2023-24 Business College of Distinction designation from Colleges of Distinction.

McDaniel's graduation rate is 63% and it admits 78% of applicants. Tuition is $51,106 for both in-state and out-of-state students, so residency does not change the price. The program has a Program Score of 80.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a small-college business degree with room to personalize a specialization, gain internship experience, and possibly continue into a graduate degree through the B.A./M.S. pathway.

The Design Leadership MA/MBA pairs two degrees earned at the same time: a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Master of Art in Design Leadership from the Maryland Institute College of Art. MICA describes it as the only program in the United States where students earn simultaneous graduate degrees from a business school at a major research university and a premier art and design college. The program runs 20 to 24 months in an accelerated online format. It opens with a three-credit MICA summer intensive, Foundations of Design Leadership, then moves into Carey's Flexible MBA classes alongside MICA's design leadership courses. Cohorts draw students from business management, marketing, engineering, finance, architecture and fine arts.

MICA's graduation rate is 72% and the school admits 77% of applicants. The program has a Program Score of 79.9 out of 100, which sets its ranking. Because the curriculum blends case-style and project-based courses in strategy, research and design thinking, it fits working professionals who want an MBA with a creative problem-solving emphasis, including people with art, design or architecture backgrounds who want business credentials without leaving their field.

Notre Dame of Maryland University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Business in three formats: a traditional full-time four-year program, hybrid 8-week courses for working adults that combine evening classes with online learning, and fully online 8-week courses through NDMU Online. The curriculum includes a required practicum, a 120-hour internship in the fourth year, which adult and online students may waive with at least two years of professional work experience. Students can add an accounting concentration aimed at the CPA exam, or minors in business or entrepreneurship. A five-year BA in Business/MA in Leadership and Management is also available. The school reports accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Federal data show a 50% graduation rate and an 82% admit rate at Notre Dame of Maryland, with enrollment of 1,788. Tuition is $41,850 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program has a Program Score of 69.2 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It suits working adults who need a flexible format, and traditional students who want required internship experience built into the degree.

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Strayer University-Maryland is built to give students a broad, fundamental knowledge of the field and prepare them for accounting careers. The school describes a strong liberal arts component meant to build communication skills, information literacy and critical analysis. Stated learning outcomes include applying U.S. and international accounting principles, taxation theory and practice, and auditing methods for internal controls. Students also prepare and interpret managerial accounting data for business decisions and work through ethical decision-making. The program is offered online, and the school reports accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Strayer is an open admission school, so there is no selective admit rate to clear. The federal graduation rate is 38%, which is worth weighing against the flexibility of the online format. Tuition is listed at $13,725 for in-state and out-of-state students alike, so residency does not change the price. The program earns a Program Score of 68.8 out of 100 on the ranking that sorts these programs. Strayer-Maryland suits working adults and career changers who want an accessible route to an accounting degree and who can manage coursework independently. Students aiming for CPA licensure should confirm their state board's education requirements directly, since the program page does not describe a 150-hour pathway.

Capitol Technology University offers a Bachelor of Science in Technology and Business Management, a degree that joins two disciplines: technology and business management. The page describes a curriculum spanning information systems, data analytics, computer programming, artificial intelligence, project management, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and strategic management. It frames the degree around innovation, training students to use technology to build new business solutions. Capitol lists roles such as IT project manager, business analyst, data scientist, product manager, technology consultant and startup founder as destinations for graduates.

The federal numbers show a school with moderate selectivity. Capitol admits 74% of applicants and graduates 43% of its students. This program holds a Program Score of 68.2 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking here. In-state tuition is $26,350, the same as the out-of-state rate, since the school is private. The degree fits students who want a business foundation with a strong technical layer, particularly those aiming at project management, analytics or product roles inside technology-driven organizations rather than a traditional finance or marketing track.