College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Morgan State University

MDMedium public institution · Overall rank #148 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth places Morgan State University in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Morgan State University is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland, where Business and Engineering lead the degree mix. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study.

Mobility and access are both among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds, and the part it attributes to what it cannot explain subtracts. The typical graduate also earns above the median at comparable schools.

Pell students complete at a rate above the cohort as a whole, and families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost. The spread between the lowest and highest income bands is a difference of averages, not what any family pays.

The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. A student drawn to Liberal Arts and General Studies should know that Electrical Engineering graduates report the highest earnings.

Morgan State University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
82.2%
Six-year completion[2]
40.9%
Four-year earnings[3]
$62,308

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$16,147
Median student debt[4]
$27,250
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$22,000

Morgan State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Morgan State University is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland, enrolling 9,019 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top tenth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (90th percentile).

The university admits 82.2% of applicants, a rate close to the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 73.3% return for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7%.

The six-year graduation rate is 40.9%, compared with a median of 49.1% for similar schools. An estimated 13.6% of undergraduates arrive as transfers, so the six-year rate covers the first-time, full-time cohort and does not capture the outcomes of students who entered through other paths.

The four show a clear split. Mobility and access are the strengths, both at the 92nd percentile.

Return and affordability sit closer to the middle of the field, at the 55th and 58th percentiles respectively.

Morgan State University is strongest on access and mobility, giving its Azimuth profile a clear emphasis on who the university serves and how students progress. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places access in the 92nd percentile and mobility in the 92nd percentile.

Affordability is in the 58th percentile, while return, the weakest pillar, is in the 55th percentile. High access and mobility sit beside more middle-of-the-pack affordability and return measures.

56.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a share that measures financial access at the point of entry. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 840 and 1,070.

For the ACT, the middle 50% ranged from 16 to 21. Azimuth ranks Morgan State University #118 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 44.3%, which is 3.4 percentage points above the overall six-year graduation rate for the entering cohort. Azimuth ranks the university #117 for mobility.

Graduates earn about $4,372 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with the mobility pillar's strong standing.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Morgan State University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#148

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 92
Access & reach
National percentile: 92
Affordability
National percentile: 58
Return on investment
National percentile: 55

Top-ranked majors

  1. Information Science/Studies#28
  2. Social Work#30
  3. Architecture#44

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Morgan State University briefing

Morgan State University cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at Morgan State University is $25,413, which includes in-state tuition and fees of $8,229 and room and board of $13,320. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $19,124.

Once grants and scholarships are applied, aid recipients pay $14,985 on average. That amount sits $917 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Grants and scholarships lower the sticker price by $10,428 on average for aid recipients, covering about 41% of the published cost. Azimuth ranks the university #588 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 58th percentile.

The published cost of attendance at Morgan State University is $25,413. Azimuth ranks the university #588 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,585, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $16,147, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $21,323. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,738.

Aid covers about 41% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the overall to $14,985. That figure is $917 above the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $27,250 in federal student loans. That is $6,021 above the peer median of $21,229.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $22,000 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $310 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$16,147

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Morgan State University

Borrowing is widespread at Morgan State University, where 89.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans and borrowers who complete carry median federal student loan debt of $27,250. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $21,229, placing the university's median $6,021 above it.

For Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, median borrowing is $22,000. With borrowing common and completion debt above the peer median, loans are a central part of the cost picture.

The investment picture at Morgan State University combines higher-than-expected earnings with borrowing above the level at comparable institutions. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $62,308 four years after completion.

Azimuth places those earnings in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, also looks favorable.

Graduates earn about $4,372 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $48,760, $62,308, and $88,599. Median federal student loan debt is $27,250, or $6,021 above the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $310 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and above-peer debt pull in opposite directions.

Parent borrowers had median Parent PLUS borrowing of $22,000, a separate population from student federal-loan borrowers. For student borrowers with median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $310 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$27,250
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$22,000

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$310/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$280/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Morgan State University briefing

Morgan State University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, Morgan State University has median earnings of $62,308 four years after completion, in the 58th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions with the same type and size, is $57,301, putting the university $5,007 above that mark.

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 55th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,372 more than the model expects for similar students.

That earnings-beyond-expectations measure—the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students—sits in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,303.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $931. The above-peer median and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction.

Morgan State University posts solid early-career earnings for its federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Their median earnings are $62,308 four years after completion.

Azimuth places that measure in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort includes 1,410 completers.

A typical earnings scenario, based on the program mix, is $62,308 four years after completion; it is a scenario rather than an observed graduate group. An estimated 28.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment.

The earnings measure and modeled estimates offer separate views of graduate outcomes.

Morgan State University posts earnings that sit above its comparable peers and model expectation, though its return standing is nearer the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $62,308 four years after completion, placing them in the 58th percentile.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; the university's figure is $5,007 above it. Graduates earn about $4,372 more than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 70th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,303.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $931. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,300.

Azimuth places its return pillar in the 55th percentile among nonprofit colleges and universities among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from downside $48,760 to upside $88,599.

At the largest program, Liberal Arts and General Studies awarded 77 degrees, and its completers had median earnings of $58,788 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #65 nationally in its field.

Social Work awarded 56 degrees, and its completers had median earnings of $60,082 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #30 nationally in its field. Its earnings are 1.16x of the national median for its field.

The modeled earnings range at Morgan State University is wide, making program choice especially relevant. The downside earnings scenario is $48,760, and the upside scenario is $88,599; both are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

Graduates of Morgan State University earn more than the model expects, and the debt they carry is higher than what is typical at comparable institutions. The value question turns on whether the earnings advantage outweighs the borrowing.

Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $27,250 in federal student loans. That is $6,021 above the peer median of $21,229—the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $310 a month. The published cost of attendance is $25,413, and aid covers about 41% of that for the average aid recipient.

The average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $14,985, which is $917 above the peer median. Parents who borrow separately hold a median of $22,000 in Parent PLUS loans.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$5,303
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$931
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$4,372

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Morgan State University briefing

Morgan State University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Morgan State University admitted 82.2% of its reported applicant pool, a rate that is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
82.2%
Approximate lower endpoint
840
Reported average
971
Approximate upper endpoint
1070

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Morgan State University briefing

What are the largest majors at Morgan State University?[12]

Morgan State University’s nationally ranked programs span a moderate range of four-year earnings, so the field chosen matters to the return picture. Information Science/Studies recorded median earnings of $83,331 four years after completion from 34 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #28 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Social Work posted $60,082 from 56 degrees awarded and ranks #30 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. At the more moderate end, Architecture had $59,586 across 39 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth rank of #44 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Civil Engineering recorded $88,870 from 48 degrees awarded and ranks #50 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Morgan State University’s 15 ranked bachelor’s programs include large offerings with distinctly different earnings four years after completion. Information Science/Studies awarded 34 degrees, and its completers had median earnings of $83,331 four years after completion; Azimuth places it #28 nationally within that program field.

Social Work awarded 56 degrees and had median earnings of $60,082 four years after completion, with an Azimuth national rank of #30 in its program field. For Architecture, the corresponding figures are 39 degrees awarded, $59,586 in median earnings four years after completion, and an Azimuth rank of #44 nationally within its field.

Morgan State University's bachelor's degrees are led by the Business family, which accounts for 18.1% of degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 14.7% and Liberal Arts & General Studies at 8.2%. The university has 15 ranked programs and 24 programs with published four-year earnings data.

The largest single program is Liberal Arts and General Studies, with 77 degrees awarded, while Electrical Engineering and Business Administration and Management follow at 73 and 71 degrees awarded, respectively. The highest-ranked program is Information Science/Studies, which Azimuth ranks #3 in Maryland within its field, and graduates earn a median of $83,331 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is Electrical Engineering, where graduates earn $98,640. Social Work ranks #30 nationally and #2 in Maryland within its field, with median earnings of $60,082.

Architecture ranks #44 nationally and #2 in Maryland within its field, with 39 degrees awarded. The pattern is one of concentrated strength in a few fields rather than a broad spread of highly ranked programs.

Social Work carries a benchmark ratio of 1.16x against the national median for its field, while the highest earnings come from engineering programs such as Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering. Across all fields, 23.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 77 degrees awarded
$58,788
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 73 degrees awarded
$98,640
Business Administration, Management and Operations 71 degrees awarded
$61,527
Social Work 56 degrees awarded
$60,082
Psychology, General 53 degrees awarded
$56,741
Civil Engineering 48 degrees awarded
$88,870

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Morgan State University briefing

How does Morgan State University serve students from different backgrounds?

Completion and modeled earnings both contribute to a strong mobility picture at Morgan State University. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 40.9%, while Pell recipients complete within six years at 44.3%, above the overall rate by 3.4 percentage points.

Graduates earn about $4,372 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth puts earnings beyond expectations in the 70th percentile nationally. Higher Pell completion than the overall rate accompanies earnings above the model’s expectation.

Broad admission and substantial Pell Grant participation make access a defining part of Morgan State University. The university admits 82.2% of applicants and enrolls 9,019 undergraduates.

Pell Grants go to 56.5% of undergraduates, and an estimated 13.6% enter as transfers or part-time students. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth puts its access pillar in the 92nd percentile. These measures describe multiple routes into a sizable public university.

06 / Morgan State University briefing

What colleges are similar to Morgan State University?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Morgan State University.

Admissions peerBowie State University72.4% admitted
Comparison with Morgan State University
MeasureMorgan State UniversityBowie State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,308$65,066+$2,758 vs Morgan State University
Average annual net price$14,985$19,298+$4,313 vs Morgan State University · higher cost
Admission rate82.2%72.4%
Explore Bowie State University →
Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore96.4% admitted
Comparison with Morgan State University
MeasureMorgan State UniversityUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,308$55,733-$6,575 vs Morgan State University
Average annual net price$14,985$13,338-$1,647 vs Morgan State University · lower cost
Admission rate82.2%96.4%
Nearby alternativeSalisbury UniversityNearby option · MD
Comparison with Morgan State University
MeasureMorgan State UniversitySalisbury University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,308$61,985-$323 vs Morgan State University
Average annual net price$14,985$17,743+$2,758 vs Morgan State University · higher cost
Admission rate82.2%87.5%
Explore Salisbury University →
Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Maryland-Baltimore County$74,396 earnings
Comparison with Morgan State University
MeasureMorgan State UniversityUniversity of Maryland-Baltimore County
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,308$74,396+$12,088 vs Morgan State University
Average annual net price$14,985$16,467+$1,482 vs Morgan State University · higher cost
Admission rate82.2%72.4%
Explore University of Maryland-Baltimore County →
Lower-cost alternativeTrinity Washington University$9,302 average net price
Comparison with Morgan State University
MeasureMorgan State UniversityTrinity Washington University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,308$64,019+$1,711 vs Morgan State University
Average annual net price$14,985$9,302-$5,683 vs Morgan State University · lower cost
Admission rate82.2%99.5%
Similar profileUniversity of South AlabamaMatched across several measures
Comparison with Morgan State University
MeasureMorgan State UniversityUniversity of South Alabama
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,308$62,459+$151 vs Morgan State University
Average annual net price$14,985$17,648+$2,663 vs Morgan State University · higher cost
Admission rate82.2%71.0%
Explore University of South Alabama →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings