Garrett College vs. HCC

Comparable Facts

Compare Garrett College in McHenry, MD with Howard Community College in Columbia, MD on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Howard Community College is larger than Garrett College based on total student enrollment (8,643 students vs. 679 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Garrett College is located in McHenry, MD (Distant Rural setting); Howard Community College is in Columbia, MD (Large Suburban setting).
• Garrett College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Howard Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Garrett College 15:1; Howard Community College 14:1.

Garrett College vs. HCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Garrett College or HCC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Garrett College than HCC ($8,507 vs. $11,468).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Garrett College are 65.8% lower than at Howard Community College ($8,384 vs. $24,498).
• Garrett College is 33.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than HCC (about $2,408 more per year; $9,632.00 vs. $7,224.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 25.1% higher at Garrett College than at Howard Community College (about $2,416 more per year; $12,040.00 vs. $9,624.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Garrett College than at Howard Community College (73% vs. 58%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Garrett College students is 10.9% larger than aid received by Howard Community College students ($5,565 vs. $5,016).

Garrett College vs. HCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Garrett College or HCC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between HCC and Garrett College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Garrett College - Open admission; HCC - Open admission.

Garrett College vs. HCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Garrett College and HCC? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Howard Community College earn a median of about $8,600 more per year than Garrett College graduates about ten years after starting college ($42,400 vs. $33,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Howard Community College graduates have a $2,250 lower median loan debt than Garrett College graduates ($9,500 vs. $11,750).
• Among borrowers, HCC graduates have an estimated $23 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Garrett College graduates ($98 vs. $121).
• More HCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Garrett College students, three years after graduation. (36% vs. 34%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.