UMD Ranks No. 13 Among Public Universities for Pell Grant Recipients’ Graduation Rates

The University of Maryland ranks No. 13 among U.S. four-year public universities for “Colleges With the Best 6-Year Graduation Rates for Pell Students” in the 2025-26 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Almanac, published on Friday.

UMD climbed two notches in this year’s list, which analyzes rates from 2021, when the six-year graduation rate for UMD students with Pell Grants was 82.2%. Pell Grants are federal aid awarded to undergraduate students with significant financial need and do not require repayment. The graduation rate reflects the percentage of first-time, full-time students who received a Pell Grant and completed their degrees at the same institution within six years.

UMD’s six-year rate for Pell students graduating by summer 2024 rose to 84.1%. 

UMD has a wide range of programs that support students with financial need starting with the application process through their time at UMD to graduation. The C.D. Mote, Jr. Incentive Awards Program, Maryland Promise Program and Academic Achievement Programs are designed to recruit, support and retain low-income students. UMD also offers resources and programs specifically designed for first-generation Terps.

“We welcome and champion these outstanding students from the time they set foot on campus until they’re walking across the commencement stage,” said William A. Cohen, UMD’s associate provost and dean for undergraduate studies. “Our mission is rooted in investing in people and their communities. Students bring their unique experiences not only to enrich the campus, but to lead in their communities and beyond.”

In addition to programs that support students through their time at UMD, the Terrapin Commitment, the largest single-year investment in need-based scholarships in the university’s history, provides aid to Maryland students with the greatest financial need.

“At Maryland, we believe that financial barriers should never stand in the way of a student meeting their potential,” said Dawit S. Lemma, director of UMD’s Office of Student Financial Aid. This recognition reflects our strong combination of financial aid and support programs that open doors to opportunity and achievement.”