Match #1
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD
Profile closeness82/100
Admit rate87%
- 6,057 students
- Public
- Suburb: Small
- Graduation rate 61%, close to 67%
- Average net price $17,445, close to $18,120
The colleges most similar to Towson University are Salisbury University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and Morgan State University. Towson University admits 82% of applicants and has an average net price of $18,120 a year; 7 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 4 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Towson University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Towson University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate72%
- 10,701 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 68%, close to 67%
- Enrollment 10,701 students, close to 16,136
Match #3
Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD
Profile closeness65/100
Admit rate82%
- 9,019 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 82%, close to 82%
- Same control type (public)
Match #4
Bowie State University
Bowie, MD
Profile closeness60/100
Admit rate72%
- 5,043 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Average net price $17,835, close to $18,120
- Acceptance rate 72%, close to 82%
Match #5
St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, MD
Profile closeness59/100
Admit rate69%
- 1,603 students
- Public
- Suburb: Small
- Graduation rate 65%, close to 67%
- Average net price $20,956, close to $18,120
Match #6
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, MD
Profile closeness59/100
Admit rate89%
- 2,909 students
- Public
- Suburb: Small
- Average net price $16,768, close to $18,120
- Acceptance rate 89%, close to 82%
Match #7
University of Maryland-College Park Main Campus
College Park, MD
Profile closeness54/100
Admit rate45%
- 30,760 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
Profile closeness46/100
Admit rate79%
- 1,133 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 79%, close to 82%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #9
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Princess Anne, MD
Profile closeness43/100
Admit rate96%
- 2,391 students
- Public
- Town: Fringe
- Average net price $17,378, close to $18,120
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
Annapolis, MD
Profile closeness36/100
Admit rate9%
- 4,474 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Towson University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Towson University?
The closest matches to Towson University are Salisbury University, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Morgan State University, Bowie State University, and St. Mary's College of Maryland. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Towson University hard to get into?
Towson University admitted 82% of its 11,616 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 4 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Towson University alternatives cost less?
7 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Towson University ($18,120 a year), including University of Baltimore ($6,270), University of Maryland-College Park Main Campus ($14,296), and Morgan State University ($14,653). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
