USAFA vs. UMBC

Deciding between United States Air Force Academy and University of Maryland Baltimore County? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

United States Air Force Academy
University of Maryland Baltimore County

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • USAFA USAF Academy, Colorado
  • UMBC Baltimore, MD
  • Setting
  • USAFA Large City
  • UMBC Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • USAFA 4,114
  • UMBC 13,906
  • Type
  • USAFA Public 4 Year
  • UMBC Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • USAFA
  • UMBC #257
  • Religious Affiliation
  • USAFA -
  • UMBC -
  • Status
  • USAFA Non-profit
  • UMBC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • USAFA
  • UMBC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UMBC $13,256
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UMBC $31,275
  • Room & Board
  • USAFA $0
  • UMBC $15,146
  • Average Net Price
  • USAFA -
  • UMBC $18,770
  • Average Grant Aid
  • USAFA $0
  • UMBC $10,203
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 88%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • USAFA 10,187
  • UMBC 14,325
  • Admitted
  • USAFA 1,435
  • UMBC 10,375
  • Acceptance Rate
  • USAFA 14.1%
  • UMBC 72.4%
  • Enrolled
  • USAFA 78.5%
  • UMBC 21.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • USAFA 1340
  • UMBC 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • USAFA 29
  • UMBC 28
  • Average High School GPA
  • USAFA 3.81
  • UMBC 3.97
  • Typical High School Grades
  • USAFA A-
  • UMBC A
  • Admissions Standards
  • USAFA Very High
  • UMBC Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • USAFA Very High
  • UMBC Low
  • ACT Range
  • USAFA 26/33
  • UMBC 25/31
  • SAT Range
  • USAFA 1230/1440
  • UMBC 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • USAFA Required
  • UMBC Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • USAFA Dec 31, 2026
  • UMBC Feb 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • USAFA 7:1
  • UMBC 17:1
  • Popular Majors
  • USAFA
    • Engineering (35%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • General Studies (14%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • UMBC
    • Computer and Information Sciences (17%)
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Biology (13%)
    • Psychology (12%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • USAFA -
  • UMBC 57%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • USAFA N/A
  • UMBC $59,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • USAFA -
  • UMBC 67%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • USAFA N/A
  • UMBC $21,197
  • Median Loan Payment
  • USAFA N/A
  • UMBC $219

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • USAFA 70%
  • UMBC 54%
  • % Women
  • USAFA 30%
  • UMBC 46%
  • Racial Diversity
  • USAFA -
  • UMBC Very High
  • HBCU
  • USAFA No
  • UMBC No
  • % White
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 44%
  • % Asian
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 20%
  • % Black
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 17%
  • % Hispanic
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 6%
  • % Native American
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 4%
  • % International
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 4%
  • % Unknown Race
  • USAFA 0%
  • UMBC 4%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • USAFA 6%
  • UMBC 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • USAFA 91%
  • UMBC 4%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • USAFA Yes
  • UMBC Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • USAFA Yes
  • UMBC No
  • Meal Plan
  • USAFA Yes
  • UMBC Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • USAFA No
  • UMBC No
  • Daycare Facility
  • USAFA No
  • UMBC Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Air Force Academy in USAF Academy, Colorado with University of Maryland Baltimore County in Baltimore, MD on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Maryland Baltimore County is larger than USAFA based on total student enrollment (13,906 students vs. 4,114 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Air Force Academy is located in USAF Academy, Colorado (Large City setting); University of Maryland Baltimore County is in Baltimore, MD (Large Suburban setting).
  • United States Air Force Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Maryland Baltimore County is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Air Force Academy 7:1; University of Maryland Baltimore County 17:1.

USAFA vs. UMBC Cost Comparison

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

  • In-state tuition differs between University of Maryland Baltimore County and USAFA ($13,256.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between UMBC and United States Air Force Academy ($31,275.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Maryland Baltimore County than at United States Air Force Academy (88% vs. 0%).

USAFA vs. UMBC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USAFA or UMBC? 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 UMBC and USAFA.

  • The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at United States Air Force Academy (1340) is 10 points higher than at UMBC (1330).
  • Incoming USAFA students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate) (29 vs. 28 at UMBC).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: United States Air Force Academy 1230/1440; University of Maryland Baltimore County 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: United States Air Force Academy 26/33; University of Maryland Baltimore County 25/31.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: USAFA - Required; UMBC - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: USAFA Dec 31, 2026; UMBC Feb 1, 2027.
  • Enrolled freshman UMBC students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at USAFA (3.81).
  • UMBC has a higher acceptance rate (72.4%) than USAFA (14.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 78.5% at USAFA vs. 21.6% at UMBC.

USAFA vs. UMBC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for USAFA and UMBC? 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.

  • University of Maryland Baltimore County's six-year graduation rate is 57%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for USAFA.
  • Graduates from University of Maryland Baltimore County have median earnings of about $59,500 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for USAFA.

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.