UMES vs. Fairmont State

Should I go to University of Maryland Eastern Shore or Fairmont State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UMES or Fairmont State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Fairmont State University comparison
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Fairmont State University College 3 College 4
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Fairmont State University
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Overview

 UMES Fairmont State
Location Princess Anne, MD Fairmont, WV
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 2,518 3,498
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #923 #979
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umes.edu fairmontstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UMES Fairmont State
Tuition (In State) $5,637 $6,022
Tuition (Out of State) $16,467 $15,638
Room & Board $10,636 $10,022
Avg Net Price $12,020 $10,794
Avg Grant Aid $12,705 $6,547
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 94%

Admission

 UMES Fairmont State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,724 1,926
Admitted 5,484 1,897
Acceptance Rate 81.6% 98.5%
Enrolled % 10.7% 37%
Avg High School GPA 3.07 3.36
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/19 18/23
SAT Range 840/1010 820/1050
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Jun 1, 2025

Academics

 UMES Fairmont State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (15%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 UMES Fairmont State
Graduation Rate 31% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,400 $37,600
Making Student Loan Payments 23% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $227

Diversity

 UMES Fairmont State
% Men 43% 41%
% Women 57% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 10% 86%
% Black 75% 5%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 3%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UMES Fairmont State
% In-State 79% 88%
% Out-of-State 18% 11%

Campus

 UMES Fairmont State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Fairmont State University is larger than than UMES based on total student enrollment (3,498 students vs. 2,518 students)

UMES vs. Fairmont State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UMES or Fairmont State ?

  • Fairmont State University is 6.8% more expensive to attend than UMES for in-state tuition ($6,022.00 vs. $5,637.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.3% higher at UMES than Fairmont State University ($16,467.00 vs. $15,638.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairmont State University than UMES ($10,794 vs. $12,020)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fairmont State University are 6.1% lower than costs at University of Maryland Eastern Shore ($10,022 vs. $10,636)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Maryland Eastern Shore than Fairmont State University (100% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Maryland Eastern Shore students is 94.1% larger than aid received Fairmont State University ($12,705 vs. $6,547)

UMES vs. Fairmont State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UMES or Fairmont State ? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Fairmont State or UMES .

  • The average SAT score at Fairmont State University (962) is 128 points higher than at UMES (834)
  • Incoming Fairmont State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at UMES (17)
  • Accepted freshman Fairmont State students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at UMES (3.07)
  • Fairmont State has a higher acceptance rate (98.5%) than UMES (81.6%)

UMES vs. Fairmont State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UMES or Fairmont State ? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Fairmont State and UMES.

  • The graduation rate at Fairmont State is higher than University of Maryland Eastern Shore (33% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from University of Maryland Eastern Shore earn on average $2,800 more per year than Fairmont State graduates after ten years. ($40,400 vs. $37,600)
  • Fairmont State University students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than UMES graduates. ($22,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Fairmont State graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than UMES graduates. ($227 vs. $279)
  • More Fairmont State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMES students, three years after graduation. (43% vs. 23%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/