About
How We Make A Difference
We are Fearlessly Global in our pursuit of excellence and positive impact to make the world a better place. Together, we learn, discover, and co-create in service of the global common good.
- U.S. News & World Report
- Academic Ranking of World Universities
- U.S. News & World Report
Explore Maryland's Global Story to learn how we got here.
We Never Stop Growing
We Back Global Learning Everywhere
At Maryland, we believe in the power of international experiences for our students, faculty, and staff. Education Abroad makes that happen for our students every day, and we're not slowing down. At a glance, we celebrate:
- 300 study abroad destinations in 58 countries and 204 cities.
- 53 faculty-led programs.
- 1,569 students abroad during ‘23 Spring semester, including 171 first generation students and 70+ students traveling abroad for the first time.
- 11,562 miles away is our farthest program at the University of Western Australia.
- More than 300 of our students have received the highly competitive Gillman scholarship—supporting high-achieving Pell Grant students to study abroad.
- 65+ Global Classrooms courses taught by faculty in every school and college. Most are in partnership with universities in low- and middle-income countries and are focused on global grand challenges.
- 2000+ students have engaged in project-based learning environments since 2014 with students from international partner universities to work together and deliver operable remedies to some of the world’s most intractable problems.
There's no denying the irreplaceable value of our international student community, on campus and beyond. We're thrilled to have them as a part of our Terrapin network. Since our first international student Pastor A. Cooke arrived from Panama in 1871, we've continued to expand on this commitment to diversifying our campus. Here's a look at our progress:
- We welcomed international students from 123 countries.
- We hosted 782 undergraduate and 3,484 graduate international students in the Fall 2022 semester.
- Over 2000 students have engaged in project-based learning with students from international partner universities; together, they are designing remedies for some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Maryland’s participation in Fulbright programs, both as a sending and receiving institution, underscores our dedication to fostering global engagement and cultivating a rich scholarly environment.
- In 1947, we welcomed our first incoming Fulbright scholar, Felicitas Salvador Tacderas, from the Philippines. Since then, we’ve welcomed 350+ international scholars to campus.
- Our faculty members received their first Fulbright grants in 1952 to pursue their research and teaching interests in India and France.
- Since our first scholars went abroad to Denmark and the United Kingdom in 1966, we've sent a total of 280 scholars abroad to destinations around the world.
- Since the program's founding in 1946, 222 University of Maryland students have received Fulbright grants.
- Over the past 20 years, we've been recognized as a Top Producer of Fulbright scholars by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
- Seven of our faculty and post-doctoral students have received Fulbright grants to teach and research abroad in 2023-2024.
- 69 students and scholars accepted Fulbright grants in the past five years: 48 student awards and 21 faculty/staff awards.
Maryland has been a top-producer of Peace Corps volunteers, ranking fourth nationally in their 2020 top colleges list. Our students don't hesitate to step into service, domestically and internationally.
Additionally, Maryland hosts several other internationally-oriented service organizations on campus, including:
- Public Health Beyond Borders
- Alternative Breaks Experiences
- Humanity First @ Maryland
- Engineers Without Borders
And many more.
Want to know how you can get involved? Learn more with this comprehensive list of service oriented organizations offered at Maryland.
We're the first to admit that we're climbers when it comes to rankings, and we will never falter in our pursuit of excellence. Here's what you should know about us:
- In 2023, we climbed nine spots in our overall U.S. News & World Report ranking among all public and private institutions—now, we're No. 46 among the top universities nationwide.
- When it comes to our place on the world's stage, the prestigious Shanghai Ranking places us at No. 50 in the top universities globally.
- A combined 69 undergraduate and graduate programs were ranked among the top 25 of their respective fields this year.
- Ranked No. 1 Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students by Campus Pride Index.
But we don't just judge ourselves by the numbers. We strive to be No.1 for our students, faculty, and staff every single day.
As a globally recognized top research institution, we are excited by the endless opportunities our research has to offer.
- In 2021, we raised $1.1 billion combined research expenditures with the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
- Through a Fearlessly Forward Reinventing Teaching & Learning Grant in 2022, we facilitated the design of universal global learning modules, centered around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, which were piloted in the Spring 2023 semester.

In Short: You Can Count On Us.
Through our dedicated hubs for Global Learning, Engagement and Services, we facilitate learning, collaboration, communication, coordination, and connection to amplify the Maryland’s mission to shape a brighter future for all.
Meet Our Team