Located just a block from Baltimore’s Penn Station, the University of Baltimore was founded as a private college in 1925, and was brought into the University of Maryland public university system in 1975. With about 3,500 undergraduates, the University of Baltimore caters to its mostly commuter student body through day, night and partially-online course offerings.
UB offers 30 majors, including a few interesting and unique programs:
- Simulation and digital entertainment
- Forensic studies
- Jurisprudence
- Real estate and economic development / construction management
- Health systems management
- Environmental sustainability
- Applied information technology
UB is a school that rewards students who have taken a rigorous course load – there are tons of merit scholarships, they give sophomore standing to students who complete an IB diploma program, and the last semester’s tuition is free if you finish in four years. But they are also forgiving of mistakes in high school – students do not need to have a perfect high school record to be admitted.
UB is a great place for students who want to take advantage of a truly urban campus. While most of the students work part-time – sometimes two or three jobs – and commute from home, the Varsity apartments are UB’s on-campus housing. These fully furnished modern suite-style apartments have a bathroom for each room, as well as a kitchen in each four-bedroom suite. Many students also share apartments with MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) students, whose campus is just a few blocks away. There is social and educational programming in the learning communities.
University of Baltimore also has a business school and a law school, bringing the total number of students to about 6,500. Peter Angelos, the long-time owner of the Baltimore Orioles, is a UB Law School alum, and he funded a brand new, state-of-the-art building to house the law school. An accelerated program gives students the option of earning a BA and JD in six years instead of seven. The founder of GoDaddy is a UB alum, and UB makes the most of its strong alumni network and ties to businesses in the area, connecting students to good job and internship options.
Students who appreciate fast-paced city life, a truly urban campus and a diverse student body should take a look at the University of Baltimore.
Evelyn visited UB in May, 2015; you can see all of her photos here.