Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Morgan State University #148 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Morgan State University sits in the 76.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting graduates who earn about $5,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions. Azimuth ranks Morgan State University #117 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- Morgan State University's composite ranking reflects a consistent pattern of delivering earnings beyond expectations for a student population that skews heavily toward Pell-eligible and first-generation undergraduates — a combination that distinguishes it within the Azimuth coverage set. Graduates earn median $62,308 four years after enrollment, and the university's mobility standing underscores how broadly those gains extend across the income spectrum.
Azimuth ranks Morgan State University #148 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Baltimore, MD, Morgan State University enrolls roughly 9,019 undergraduates. Retention stands at 73.3% and the six-year graduation rate is 40.9%, figures that reflect both the university's support infrastructure and the realities facing its student population. What anchors Morgan State University in the composite is mobility. The university sits in the 92.1 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, driven by a student body where 56.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 33.1% are first-generation college students. Morgan State University admits about 82.2% of applicants, maintaining broad access that channels a large share of low-income and first-generation students toward degree completion and workforce entry. Access sits in the 92.0 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions, and affordability registers in the 58.6 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return on investment is the lower-ranked pillar in the composite. Azimuth ranks Morgan State University #668 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 55.0 percentile. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $62,308, which sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $5,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Morgan State University in the 76.7 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings figures reflect MD's regional labor market and a student population whose post-graduation outcomes represent meaningful returns relative to the no-degree-equivalent baseline of $35,051, even where they fall below selective-peer averages. Business is the dominant program family, shaping both the earnings profile and the career pathways available to graduates.
Morgan State University prices its education accessibly across income levels, with meaningful variation by family financial situation. Low-income families pay approximately $9,585 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $16,147, and higher-income families pay closer to $21,323. Azimuth ranks Morgan State University #590 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That positioning reflects Morgan State's public-tuition structure and its commitment to serving a student body where need-based aid plays a central role in making attendance possible. Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of costs for most students, and the gap between Morgan State's published cost of attendance and what families actually pay is substantial for lower-income households. The net price illusion is real here — sticker price and net price tell meaningfully different stories depending on family income. Families comparing institutions should anchor on the net price figures by income band rather than the headline cost of attendance of $25,413, which reflects the full published rate before aid is applied. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $22,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $62,308, median federal debt of $27,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $308 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Morgan State University is a strong fit for students from Baltimore, MD and the broader Mid-Atlantic region who are drawn to business, applied professional fields, and public-sector careers — particularly those from low-income or first-generation backgrounds seeking a historically Black public university with broad access and a supportive pathway to stable post-graduation earnings. Graduates earn about $5,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Morgan State University in the 76.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Median earnings four years after enrollment are $62,308, placing Morgan State University in the 57.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution enrolls a large share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 56.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 33.1% are first-generation — and the program mix is concentrated in Business, which connects graduates to career pathways in finance, management, and public administration. Morgan State University sits in the 38.2 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program portfolio skews toward business and applied professional fields rather than STEM or research-intensive disciplines, and students who plan to stay in the Baltimore–Washington corridor will find the strongest alignment between Morgan State's network and local employer demand.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Morgan State University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
73 graduates
Civil Engineering
48 graduates
Information Science/Studies
34 graduates
Industrial Engineering
18 graduates
Construction Management
17 graduates
Morgan State University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 18% of graduates — the largest concentration by field. Engineering follows at 15%, and Social Sciences at 6%, giving the university a business-and-social-science-leaning portfolio.
General Studies is the largest program with 77 graduates, followed by Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (73 graduates) and Business Administration (71 graduates). Across 35 programs serving roughly 945 students annually, 23 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold.
The strongest early-career earnings come from a handful of applied fields. Azimuth ranks Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering #63 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $98,640 — the highest four-year figure at the institution.
Civil Engineering follows with median earnings of $88,870, and Azimuth ranks the program #49 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration graduates earn $61,527 four years out, and Azimuth ranks the program #274 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.
These programs represent comparatively small cohorts, but they deliver measurably stronger salary outcomes than the institution's larger enrollment centers. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering combines meaningful cohort scale with solid earnings, making it the program that contributes most to Morgan State University's aggregate return profile.
Several of the university's largest programs — Social Work and Psychology, General — feed into fields where graduate or professional school is a common next step, meaning four-year earnings undercount the full trajectory for many of those students. For context on how Morgan State University's dominant program families align with national hiring trends, see the [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework.
For details on [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), see the methodology overview. ```
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oakland University Similar quality tier (#4290 ranked) | MI | 88% | $58,612 | #4290 | Compare |
Indiana University-Indianapolis Similar quality tier (#4287 ranked) | IN | 76% | $55,198 | #4287 | Compare |
Kean University Similar quality tier (#4294 ranked) | NJ | 76% | $57,237 | #4294 | Compare |
Utah State University Similar quality tier (#4286 ranked) | UT | 92% | $54,022 | #4286 | Compare |
Metropolitan State University Similar quality tier (#4299 ranked) | MN | 99% | $64,705 | #4299 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Morgan State University prices its education accessibly across income levels, with meaningful variation by family financial situation. Low-income families pay approximately $9,585 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $16,147, and higher-income families pay closer to $21,323.
Azimuth ranks Morgan State University #590 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That positioning reflects Morgan State's public-tuition structure and its commitment to serving a student body where need-based aid plays a central role in making attendance possible.
Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of costs for most students, and the gap between Morgan State's published cost of attendance and what families actually pay is substantial for lower-income households. The [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is real here — sticker price and net price tell meaningfully different stories depending on family income.
Families comparing institutions should anchor on the net price figures by income band rather than the headline cost of attendance of $25,413, which reflects the full published rate before aid is applied. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $22,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $62,308, median federal debt of $27,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $308 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Morgan State University earn median earnings of $62,308 four years after enrollment, placing Morgan State University in the 57.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn about $5,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 76.7 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to MD's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $35,051 — the state median earnings of working adults in their late twenties and early thirties with only a high school credential.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering combines substantial enrollment with competitive pay, making it a central part of Morgan State University's degree output. Business is the dominant program family, accounting for 18% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 15% and Social Sciences at 6%.
Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks General Studies #59 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 77 graduates earning median earnings of $58,788. Azimuth ranks Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering #63 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 73 graduates earning median earnings of $98,640.
The Business Administration program graduates 71 students annually with median earnings of $61,527, and Azimuth ranks the program #274 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
