Are There Tuition-Free Master's Degrees Online in Maryland?

Although fully free online master's degrees are not available, students seeking an affordable degree path can significantly reduce costs through various financial aid options. Federal and state aid, scholarships from higher education institutions, and other funding sources can cover a portion of tuition costs for eligible students. However, it is important to note that additional costs beyond tuition may apply.

Earning a free master's degree online requires some combination of low tuition, financial aid, and other financial strategies. Programs for low-cost or tuition-free online master's degrees are available at various schools, both in and outside of Maryland. Regardless of your academic and professional background, you can pursue a degree in numerous in-demand fields without any on-campus requirements. Continue reading to explore strategies for finding and establishing tuition-free online master's degree programs.

Can I Get a Master's Degree Online for Free in Maryland?

If you're interested in earning a free master's degree online, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. While there is only one school that has completely free tuition (University of the People), no master's program is entirely free. Tuition-free online colleges still have various fees, like program and technology fees, and there may be related expenses for books and other materials.

Online learning options have lower costs than on-campus options at many schools, and students can often progress through their programs at their own pace. Whether you're planning to study part-time or full-time, affordable online programs are available across Maryland. You can earn a high-quality online master's in various fields for very little to no expense, if you utilize financial aid and other strategies to decrease your costs.

How To Make Your Online Master's Degree Affordable

You can drastically reduce the cost of your online master's degree by utilizing several affordability strategies, such as applying for financial aid and transferring in credits. Whether you are pursuing an MBA program, a degree in social sciences, or a program in another field, a low-cost online graduate degree is within your grasp. Some of the top affordability strategies are discussed below.

• Transferring Credits: Many universities allow you to transfer prior coursework and/or qualifying assessment scores in as credits, enabling you to decrease the total number of credits that you need to complete for your degree. If you have a bachelor's degree, you can transfer relevant coursework to your graduate degree.
• Federal Student Aid: Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) allows you to apply for various forms of financial aid at cheap online schools that accept FAFSA and other institutions.
• Low-Cost Tuition: Choosing a school with a lower tuition rate ultimately decreases the cost of your program, and taking advantage of enrollment discounts (typically for full-time) can be another way to bring down your per-credit costs. Some schools also have lower tuition rates for online courses and programs.
• Federal and State Aid: You can apply for federal and state aid to cover the costs of your program, including state-level grants that are offered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
• Private Aid: There are thousands of scholarships, grants, fellowships, and other aid offered through private organizations. They are available based on a variety of criteria (merit, program, etc.), and you can search for them on sites like Career OneStop and others (no site lists all available awards).
• Institutional Aid: Many schools offer in-house scholarships and grants. You can call the financial aid offices of your candidate schools to find out what financial aid options are available to you from the school's award pool. A lot of schools also list financial aid opportunities on their websites.

Low-Cost Online Master's Programs

Our team has reviewed available programs at colleges in Maryland to determine which ones offer the most affordable graduate programs, graduate-level tuition scholarships, and other applicable aid. You can earn a master's degree at one of the cheapest online graduate schools in fields such as health science, artificial intelligences, and business analytics. The cheapest online master's degree programs in Maryland are discussed below.

1. University of Maryland - Eastern Shore

The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES), has online master's degree programs in the following fields:

• cybersecurity and engineering technology
• criminology and criminal justice
• data science and analytics engineering
• human ecology

Courses are delivered through eight-week classes and offer asynchronous coursework, enabling students to work at their convenience throughout their programs. UMES has several in-house scholarship opportunities and also connects students with scholarships offered through historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Average in-state tuition: $353 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $654 per credit

Financial aid: Students have access to a variety of scholarships offered to HBCUs and several that are directly through UMES.

Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

2. Salisbury University

At Salisbury University, online students can complete master's degrees in the fields of business administration, dispute resolution, education, nursing and more.

Salisbury offers a variety of institutional scholarships, including both merit-based and need-based, as well as field-specific awards. For example, education master's program students can apply for a $1,500 award that is dedicated to education reading specialist students.

Average in-state tuition: $445 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $535 to $805 per credit

Financial aid: Several dozen scholarships are offered by the school and its donors, with awards available based on merit, need, program, and other criteria.

Accreditation: MSCHE

3. Bowie State University

Bowie State University has online master's degree programs in several fields:

• computer science
• reading education
• culturally responsive teacher leadership
• internet technologies
• information systems

There are several scholarship options, including awards dedicated to fields like nursing, computer science, and education. Bowie State also offers a veteran's scholarship and provides resources for locating federal and state grants.

Average in-state tuition: $457 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $730 per credit

Financial aid: Students have access to multiple program-specific and other scholarships offered through the school, as well as state and other external aid.

Accreditation: MSCHE

4. Frostburg State University

Frostburg State University's online master's degree in business can be completed in one to two years. The Master of Business Administration (MBA) offers three concentration options: management, business analytics, and healthcare management.

Seven-week courses enable students to adjust their enrollment as needed and complete the program sooner. Students can apply for one of hundreds of in-house scholarships to bring down their program costs.

Average in-state tuition: $483 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $630 per credit

Financial aid: Students can review and apply for hundreds of institutional scholarships through Frostburg State's online scholarship tool.

Accreditation: MSCHE

5. Morgan State University

Morgan State University has a variety of online master's degree programs, including options in:

• social work
• advanced computing
• public health
• business administration
• education
• project management
• applied neuroscience

Morgan State is one of Maryland's HBCUs and offers multiple scholarships to minority students, as well as an award for female-identifying students. Numerous scholarships are available to students based on other criteria, including GPA-based and program-specific criteria.

Average in-state tuition: $485 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $950 per credit

Financial aid: Institutional scholarships are offered based on several criteria, including program, GPA, and demographics.

Accreditation: MSCHE

6. Stevenson University

Stevenson University offers more than a dozen fully online master's degrees, with options in cybersecurity, communication, healthcare management, and forensic science. In addition to scholarships, online graduate students can apply for an assistantship with the school.

The assistantships are available to full-time students with qualifying GPAs, and waives tuition for up to two years (throughout the master's program).

Average in-state tuition: $505 to $705 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $505 to $705 per credit

Financial aid: In addition to state and external aid, graduate students can apply for an assistantship that covers the cost of tuition for two years.

Accreditation: MSCHE

7. Hood College

Hood College has several online master's degree programs:

• nursing
• information technology
• mathematics education
• reading specialization
• educational leadership
• business administration
• curriculum and instruction
• general education (multidisciplinary studies)

Hood College offers a variety of program-specific and other financial aid awards, including scholarships that are available to students of the information technology program.

Average in-state tuition: $510 to $655 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $510 to $655 per credit

Financial aid: There are a wide variety of program-specific scholarships, as well as other financial aid awards offered by the school.

Accreditation: MSCHE

8. University of Maryland - Global Campus

University of Maryland's Global Campus (UMGC) offers an array of fully online programs for many in-demand fields. Some of the master's programs available are those in management, biotechnology, information technology, cybersecurity, and education.

Students can apply for several in-house scholarships, as well as a need-based graduate grant. In addition, there are more than 100 donor-back scholarships offered to UMGC students.

Average in-state tuition: $534 to $694 per credit ($336 military)

Average out-of-state tuition: $659 to $694 per credit ($336 military)

Financial aid: More than 100 scholarships are available to UMGC students, including in-house and donor scholarships as well as grant opportunities

Accreditation: MSCHE

9. Goucher College

Goucher College has several online master's degree programs:

• Master of Arts (MA) in applied policy analysis
• MA in environmental sustainability management
• MA in teaching
• MA in digital communication
• Master of Education (with ten specialization options)

Online graduate students can transfer up to nine credits of qualifying coursework and typically complete the programs within two years. Students can apply for several scholarships and grants, including state grants and merit scholarships.

Average in-state tuition: $570 to $1,030 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $570 to $1,030 per credit

Financial aid: Students can apply for merit-based scholarships, as well as state grants and other forms of financial aid.

Accreditation: MSCHE

10. Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University Maryland offers various online master's degree programs, including those in special education, teaching (Master of Art in Teaching), and school counseling.

Scholarships are available for several different programs, as well as through other criteria (such as merit). For example, students of the teaching program can apply for a scholarship that pays up to $22,000 toward tuition, fees, books and related expenses.

Average in-state tuition: $720 per credit

Average out-of-state tuition: $720 per credit

Financial aid: Students can apply for many scholarships and other awards, including multiple for teaching and education students.

Accreditation: MSCHE

Find an Affordable Online Master's Degree

Our team has created many pages that list top programs for students, from those that are the most affordable to those that are program-specific. Browse through our pages to find the right programs for your goals, and reach out to schools to find out more.