McDaniel College

"This is a community of nice, earnest, unassuming, quietly self-assured teenagers who realize they are getting a first-rate education and who regard their teachers as their friends and mentors."
-Loren Pope

McDaniel College
FAST FACTS: CHARACTER | WORTH NOTING | ENROLLMENT | FACULTY & ACADEMICS | TUITION & FEES | CAMPUS LIFE | ACADEMIC PROFILE OF ENTERING CLASS
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CHARACTER

  • Private four-year college of the liberal arts and sciences, founded in 1867 as Western Maryland College.
  • Renamed in July 2002 in honor of William R. McDaniel, Class of 1880. As a student, alumnus, professor, administrator, parent, and trustee, McDaniel had a defining impact on the campus community, and his life personifies the College with which he was associated for 65 years.
  • 160-acre campus sits atop a hill overlooking downtown Westminster.
  • Westminster, Maryland (population 20,000), is 30 miles northwest of Baltimore and 56 miles north of Washington, D.C.
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WORTH NOTING

  • January Term offers uncommon courses during which students explore new and different subjects ranging from internships to international study to building a log cabin.
  • Emphasis on students working together—collaboration, not competition. Faculty-student collaborative research yielded over 100 research projects in 2008-2009.
  • High acceptance rate at first-choice professional schools (including medicine, law, and advanced studies in numerous fields)
  • Over one-third of students study abroad, including at McDaniel's branch campus in Budapest, Hungary.
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ENROLLMENT

  • 1,700 students from 36 states and 11 countries
  • 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio
  • Average class size: 17
  • Approximately 45% men, 55% women
  • 122 students in the Honors Program enroll in specially designed courses and co-curricular activities.
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FACULTY & ACADEMICS

  • 95% of full-time faculty hold the most advanced degree in their field.
  • All courses, studios, and laboratories are taught by faculty members, not teaching assistants.
  • Courses of study in more than 60 areas, including pre-professional programs, teaching certification, and off-campus programs. Students may pursue traditional, dual, or double majors, or design their own course of study.
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TUITION & FEES

  • Tuition, Room, and Board: $38,600
  • 90% of students receive financial assistance.
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CAMPUS LIFE

  • 85% of students live on campus.
  • 25% of students compete in NCAA Division III, Centennial Conference athletics; received all-conference academic honors in 2008-2009.
  • 19 national and international honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, recognize leadership, service, and academic achievement.
  • Leadership opportunities in more than 125 clubs, intramural sports, and organizations.
  • Nine-hole golf course doubles as downhill sledding and snowboarding slopes for winter recreation.
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ACADEMIC PROFILE OF ENTERING CLASS

  • 425 students; 18% from underrepresented minority groups
  • Average GPA: 3.5
  • Middle 50% SAT composite scores: 1040-1240
  • SAT Optional Admissions Plan