Maryland is the state with the best community college system in the nation, according to a 2025 study released by the personal financial company WalletHub.
One year of community college costs nearly one-third what one year at a public four-year institution costs, a significant savings given the financial uncertainties of inflation and a stagnating economy. WalletHub also released a study ranking the best and worst individual community colleges for 2025.
Maryland’s five best community colleges rank in the top 40 nationwide, helping the Free State achieve its status of having the best community college system. Another factor was being a state offering free community college education.
Montgomery College, with several campuses in Mongtomery County, ranked 17th among the best community colleges in the nation. This is due to the high median salaries graduates earn, its student retention rates, and that the college offers credit for life experiences.
Rounding out the rest of the top five community colleges in Maryland are Prince George’s Community College (ranked 28th nationally), Carroll Community College (ranked 31st nationally), Howard Community College (ranked 32nd nationally), and The Community College of Baltimore County (ranked 36th nationally).
Howard Community College faculty’s union just reached a tentative deal for their first ever union contract, which will secure full-time faculty a 4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) if the contract is ratified on Aug. 22. Last year, Carrol Community College received nearly $3 million in grants to establish an Applied Technology and Trades Center to help meet the demand for skilled workers.
Also in 2024, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Credit for All Language Learning (CALL) Act, which required public community colleges to consider English courses for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) count towards that student’s associate’s degree. This removes significant barriers for students who are multilingual. Gov. Wes Moore signed the bill into law in April 2024.
Dr. Jennifer l. Steele is a professor at American University’s School of Education. When evaluating the best and worst community colleges, Steele felt the top three indicators were affordability, access to high-quality courses, and clear paths to four-year colleges.
“Community college is an open-access gateway to higher education and should be affordable to all,” Steele said. “Without the kind of free community college initiative that the Biden administration had hoped to launch, community college tuitions vary enormously. In 2021-2022, average in-state annual tuition for two-year colleges ranged from about $1,300 a year in California to about $7,400 in South Dakota, though some states offer limited ‘free community college’ programs for eligible students.”
She said demand for high-quality courses will increase, so community colleges will need to provide access through more sections of classes, rather than larger classes or long wait lists. Registrars and advisors must establish clear channels of communications with students who want to pursue certain careers, majors, and potential transfers to four-year colleges, so students know which courses will help them best achieve their goals.
