Maryland: school, college and career rules
Maryland requires 22 credits, 75 hours of student service and the high school Maryland Comprehensive Assessments for a diploma; USM universities want 12 months of Maryland domicile for in-state tuition and community colleges 3 months.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
COMAR 13A.03.02.03, for students who entered grade 9 in 2021-22 or later (21 credits applied to earlier classes). Students must be enrolled in a Maryland public school system. COMAR
View source
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English | 4 credits (one aligned with the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment for English) |
| Fine arts | 1 credit |
| Mathematics | 4 credits, including algebra and geometry |
| Science | 3 credits with labs: life science, physical science, and earth/space or other science |
| Social studies | 3 credits: U.S. history, world history, and local, state and national government |
| Physical education | ½ credit |
| Health education | 1 credit |
| Computer science, engineering or technology education | 1 credit |
| World language or CTE | 2 credits of the same world language (ASL counts) or a state-approved career and technical education program |
22 credits minimum.
State tests for the diploma
To get the Maryland High School Diploma, every student takes the Maryland Comprehensive Assessments in algebra, science, English and government after the course. Students also complete 75 hours of student service (or an approved local program) and a local environmental literacy program. COMAR
View source
State test: MSTAR and MCAP
Maryland System of Testing Academic Readiness (grades 3–8 from 2026-27) and the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program high school tests. 2025-26 was the fifth and final full MCAP administration for grades 3–8; the newly designed MSTAR starts with grades 3–8 in the 2026-27 school year. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 13 Aug 2026 (news.maryland.gov returns 403 to requests from India).MSDE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| MSTAR (new) | Replaces MCAP for these grades | Grades 3–8, from 2026-27 |
| Maryland Comprehensive Assessments | Algebra, English, science and government | High school, during the course's regular administration |
Source: COMAR
View source
What the scores are used for
- For students entering grade 9, the science and government assessments count for 20 percent of the final grade in those high school courses.
COMAR
COMAR 13A.03.02.03, Enrollment and Credit Requirements (and .05 Student Service, .06 Maryland Comprehensive Assessments)Library of Maryland Regulations (Division of State Documents)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- The diploma requires taking all four high school Maryland Comprehensive Assessments.
COMAR
COMAR 13A.03.02.03, Enrollment and Credit Requirements (and .05 Student Service, .06 Maryland Comprehensive Assessments)Library of Maryland Regulations (Division of State Documents)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University System of Maryland (USM)University system · Maryland's public university system, including Bowie State, Coppin State, Frostburg State, Salisbury, Towson, the University of Baltimore and the University of Maryland campuses.
- Maryland community colleges (MACC)Community colleges · The Maryland Association of Community Colleges is the voice of the state's 16 community colleges.
Sources: USM
View sourceMACC
View source
Every school in Maryland, public and private, with cost and completion: 75 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 4 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- USM policy VIII-2.70: for in-state tuition at a USM university you must show that for at least 12 consecutive months, up to the last day to register, you intended to make Maryland your permanent home and gave up your former home state, with objective evidence such as a lease and Maryland taxes.
USM
USM Policy VIII-2.70, Policy on Student Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes (PDF, amended 16 June 2017)University System of Maryland, Board of Regents- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Community colleges (COMAR 13B.07.02): a Maryland resident is a student who has kept a Maryland domicile for at least 3 months before enrolling; immigration status alone does not bar Maryland residency if the person can legally establish domicile.
COMAR
COMAR 13B.07.02.03, Student Residency Policy (community colleges)Library of Maryland Regulations (Division of State Documents)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance (EA) Grant
Need-based grant of up to $3,000 a year for up to four years. File the FAFSA or the MHEC One-App by March 1 (for 2026-27, March 1, 2026); awards go out until funds run out. MHEC
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Maryland license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Maryland board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Maryland State Board of Law Examiners | NextGen UBE. MPRE required (passing score 85). NCBEMaryland: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Maryland Board of Physicians | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Maryland Board of Public Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Maryland Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Maryland Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
State of Maryland Job Openings
State of Maryland
- Filter open jobs and apply online; Interest Cards email you when a type of job opens.
- After the FY26 budget the Governor announced a hiring freeze for most Executive Branch positions; exempt classes such as public safety are still recruiting.
Source: Maryland jobs
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Maryland has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Office of Apprenticeship, Maryland Department of LaborMaryland's State Apprenticeship Agency. The Office of Apprenticeship, set up by the RAISE Act of 2025 and succeeding the Maryland Apprenticeship Training Program, develops, supports and tracks registered apprenticeship programs.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: MD Labor
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Maryland: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Maryland Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- COMAR 13A.03.02.03, Enrollment and Credit Requirements (and .05 Student Service, .06 Maryland Comprehensive Assessments) · Library of Maryland Regulations (Division of State Documents) checked 2026-10-22
- State MCAP Scores Reach Five-Year High in English Language Arts and Mathematics (news release, 28 July 2026) · Maryland State Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- University System of Maryland Institutions · University System of Maryland checked 2026-10-22
- Maryland Association of Community Colleges · Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) checked 2026-10-22
- USM Policy VIII-2.70, Policy on Student Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes (PDF, amended 16 June 2017) · University System of Maryland, Board of Regents checked 2026-10-22
- COMAR 13B.07.02.03, Student Residency Policy (community colleges) · Library of Maryland Regulations (Division of State Documents) checked 2026-10-22
- Howard P. Rawlings Educational Assistance (EA) Grant · Maryland Higher Education Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance checked 2026-10-22
- State of Maryland Job Openings · State of Maryland, Department of Budget and Management checked 2026-10-22
- Office of Apprenticeship (Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning) · Maryland Department of Labor checked 2026-10-22
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21