Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Maryland, Ranked (2026)

General Studies Associate Degrees in Maryland

General studies associate degrees in Maryland are five programs, three ranked and two not, and four of the five are at public community colleges. Cecil College in North East has the top score at 47.6, 242nd in the national associate ranking, on a 37% graduation rate, 101 degrees a year and $8,760 in resident tuition and required fees for 2023-24. Baltimore City Community College is second at 39.2 with the lowest price at this level, $3,314, and the lowest graduation rate, 17%, on 55 degrees a year. Howard Community College in Columbia is a fraction behind at 39.1 and is by far the largest program, 465 degrees a year, with a 24% graduation rate at $7,920.

Below the threshold, Chesapeake College in Wye Mills awarded 7 degrees at $6,344 with a 35% graduation rate, and Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, the one private program, awarded 3 at $25,200 with a 29% graduation rate. None of the five has a fully online option. The ranked three show how the score works: Cecil wins on completion, Howard on size and Baltimore City on price, and no program here combines two of the three.

The 3 Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Maryland

The best general studies associate degrees in Maryland are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Maryland. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.

1. 1

   Cecil College

   Maryland

   47.6

   • Public

   College graduation rate

   37%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $8,760 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   101

   • College graduation rate percentile 56 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 26 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 59 / 100

   About the Program

   Cecil College is a public community college in North East, Maryland that enrolls 1,749 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 101 associate's degrees, a count at the 59th percentile for size. Across the whole college, 37% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 56% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $8,760 a year for residents and $9,960 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 26% of programs at this level. Strongest of its measures is the number of degrees it awards, which lands at the 59th percentile.

2. 2

   Baltimore City Community College

   Maryland

   39.2

   • Public

   College graduation rate

   17%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $3,314 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   55

   • College graduation rate percentile 4 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 90 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 41 / 100

   About the Program

   Baltimore, Maryland is home to Baltimore City Community College, a public community college of 4,375 students. The program's last federal report shows 55 associate's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 41 in every 100 programs measured here. Of the students who start at Baltimore City Community College, 17% graduate, and that beats 4 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees run $3,314 a year in state against $7,394 out of state, so on price it sits at the 90th percentile. On price it does best, reaching the 90th percentile.

3. 3

   Howard Community College

   Maryland

   39.1

   • Public

   College graduation rate

   24%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $7,920 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   465

   • College graduation rate percentile 17 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 31 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 89 / 100

   About the Program

   Based in Columbia, Maryland, Howard Community College is a public community college with 8,643 students on its rolls. It conferred 465 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 89% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. Of the students who start at Howard Community College, 24% graduate, and that beats 17 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees run $7,920 a year in state against $10,107 out of state, so on price it sits at the 31st percentile. What lifts it most is the number of degrees it awards, where it reaches the 89th percentile.

Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Maryland

The other general studies associate degrees in Maryland awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.

Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.

How Much Does a General Studies Associate Degree Cost in Maryland?

A general studies associate degree in Maryland costs $7,920 a year in resident tuition and required fees at the median of the five programs for 2023-24, Howard Community College's rate. Baltimore City Community College is $3,314, Chesapeake College $6,344 and Cecil College $8,760, and the four community colleges charge out-of-state students $7,394 to $10,107. Washington Adventist University's associate, the private program, is $25,200 for everyone. The gap between Baltimore City and Cecil is the gap between a 17% and a 37% graduation rate, so the cheapest seat and the most-finished seat are at opposite ends of the list.

For a part-time student, the Maryland grant to ask about is the Part-Time Grant, which the Higher Education Commission runs by providing funds to Maryland public and independent colleges based on the number of undergraduate part-time students with demonstrated financial need. The college decides who receives it, so you apply through the financial aid office. In 2024-25 it was for degree-seeking undergraduates taking 3 to 11 credits per semester, with a minimum award of $200 and a maximum of $2,000. Against Baltimore City's $3,314, a maximum award would have covered more than half a year's tuition and fees.

Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Maryland?

Yes, a general studies associate degree in Maryland transfers to any public university in the state by law, when it's an associate of arts or associate of science. The Education Article requires a statewide agreement under which at least 60 credits of general education, elective and major courses earned at any community college toward an associate of arts or associate of science transfer to any public senior higher education institution, and regulations require the university to accept for transfer at least 60, but not more than 70, credits. Any completed course that fulfilled a general education requirement at the sending institution must be accepted, and a public A.A. or A.S. is built on at least 28, but not more than 36, credit hours of general education, so that block travels whole.

The seat is protected too. A student from a Maryland public institution who has completed an associate's degree or at least 60 credit hours with a 2.0 GPA can't be denied general admission to another public institution, though general admission does not guarantee admission into a specific degree or certificate program.

Reverse transfer is in the same statute: at least 30 credits earned at a public senior institution toward a bachelor's are transferable to any community college for credit toward an associate's degree.

What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Maryland?

Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Maryland pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.

How to Choose a General Studies Associate Degree Program in Maryland

How to choose a general studies associate degree program in Maryland is a three-way trade among the ranked community colleges, because each wins on one measure and loses on another. Cecil College graduates 37% at $8,760 on 101 degrees a year. Howard Community College graduates 24% at $7,920 on 465 degrees. Baltimore City Community College graduates 17% at $3,314 on 55. If completion is what you're buying, Cecil costs the most and delivers it. If price is, Baltimore City is less than half of Howard's rate and finishes fewer than one student in five.

All five programs are campus-based, so geography does part of the choosing: North East, Columbia, Baltimore, Wye Mills and Takoma Park. Chesapeake College's 35% graduation rate at $6,344 is worth a look if you're near Wye Mills, even though its 7 degrees a year keep it off the ranked list. Ask each college whether its general studies degree is awarded as an A.A. or A.S., since the 60-credit guarantee is written for those two, which public universities its graduates most often enter, and how it awards the Part-Time Grant.

If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Maryland have their own page.