Loyola University Maryland is a private, nonprofit university in Baltimore. It is medium-sized and fairly residential, and—this is worth saying from the outset—it is a school where most applicants are admitted, but very few of those admitted ultimately enroll. That combination may sound contradictory at first, but it is exactly the kind of thing this article is here to explain calmly, number by number, without leaving you alone with the figures.
I do not know your child. I do not know whether your child dreams of studying business, needs to stay close to home, or whether your family can afford the cost without help. What I can do is put before you what official United States government data says about this university, explained in clear English, so that you can decide what to do with that information.
What kind of university it is and where it stands
Under the Carnegie system, Loyola is classified as a master’s university with large programs: in other words, it is not only an undergraduate school; it also educates a substantial number of graduate students. It is a four-year, highly residential institution: at the time of that count, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least eight out of ten attended full time.
That last point matters more than it may seem. “Highly residential” is not a decorative adjective: it signals that students experience college there in the traditional way, with residence halls and campus life as central parts of the experience. But be careful: living on campus is not included in tuition. Room and board are charged separately, and they almost never appear together in the same figure in the brochure. Ask for an itemized breakdown before comparing this school with any other.
Loyola is in Baltimore, Maryland, within the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area, in what the federal census classifies as a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is downtown or what the daily commute is like. If your child were considering living at home, the only way to know for sure is to drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of the classes. GPS almost never tells the whole truth.
It is an institution that awards degrees from the bachelor’s through the doctoral level—the doctorate is the highest level it reports offering—although that information is institutional: it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in exists or whether it connects to a graduate program. That must be confirmed program by program.
And one clarification is worth making early: Loyola is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. This is neither criticism nor praise; it is simply information: those three labels say nothing about how well the university would serve your child, how many Latino students are on campus, or how your child would feel there. Those are things to ask about directly, not infer from an unchecked box.
A medium-sized community, with more women and few adults
In the fall of 2023, Loyola had a total enrollment of 5,107. It is neither a small school nor a giant one: its enrollment falls between 5,000 and 9,999, and compared with a set of 941 similar selective private schools, it is on the larger side. Of that total, undergraduate enrollment is 3,987 and graduate enrollment is 1,120. If your child is entering a bachelor’s-degree program, the number that matters is undergraduate enrollment, not total enrollment: the total is increased by people who have already completed a degree.
Among undergraduates, the Hispanic or Latino share is 14 out of every 100. It is a small minority, although it is slightly above the median compared with similar selective private schools. Put plainly: there are few Latino students here. That does not mean the school should come off the list, but it does mean that during a visit, you should ask what specifically exists for Latino students: a student organization, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish. That comparison also has a real limitation: it does not account for the part of the country where the school is located, and in this case that matters.
There are also more women than men—the share of women is 56 out of every 100—and almost no adults: only 1 out of every 100 is between ages 25 and 64. In short, it is a young community of recent high school graduates living the traditional college experience.
How academics are organized
Loyola’s academic year is divided into two semesters lasting about 15 weeks apiece. The institution accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it gives credit for every exam: we do not know what scores it requires or how much credit it awards. Ask for the equivalency chart in writing before assuming any savings in time or money.
In the most recent reported year, Loyola’s bachelor’s-degree awards totaled 880, distributed across program families totaling 18. By far the largest is business and management, with 298 awards, or 34 out of every 100. Its offerings are concentrated in that area, although compared with similar schools, Loyola awards a substantial number of degrees each year—it ranks in the highest quarter of the group. The fact that the report shows a program-family total of 18 does not establish a complete-major count of 18: each family includes multiple programs, and some may report no graduates that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in, not just the general family.
The student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to 1. That is a low figure in absolute terms, but compared with similar schools, it is above the median: most of its peers report an equal or lower ratio. Both things are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of a first-year class. The federal source does not measure that.
Loyola also reports structured opportunities that are worth having your child explore: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, and pathways to teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
Getting into Loyola: a long application, but an open door
This is where it helps to sit down and take your time, because the numbers tell a more nuanced story than they may seem to at first glance.
Loyola does not have open admissions: it reviews specific application components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks six as required: the high school record, GPA, completion of the required college-preparatory curriculum, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and, for those to whom it applies, an English-proficiency exam. It also considers—although they are not required—work experience and whether a family member attended the university. Your child cannot change that last factor. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it: spend it on what is within your child’s control.
The undergraduate application fee is $60.
And here is the point most worth taking away: the first-time applicant pool for the 2023 cycle totaled 10,162, and the number offered admission was 7,757. That is 76 out of every 100. It is a generous admission rate, a little above the midpoint among its selective peers. Your child has a real reason to apply here—and also a reason to complete the entire application and submit it on time, because this is still an application demanding in its components, not in luck.
But a second number changes the conversation: enrollment among those admitted was only 14 out of every 100. Put another way, out of every seven students Loyola admits, only one ultimately attends. That is a low enrollment yield compared with similar schools. And I want to be clear with you about this: it is not a stain on the school. The federal record does not say why each person made that choice. What it does mean in practical terms is that receiving a letter from Loyola is not the same as deciding to attend. What truly matters is the financial aid letter with the net price—that is what determines whether this school stays on or comes off the list.
The SAT and ACT are optional: if your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains just as valid. Among those who enrolled and submitted the SAT (18 out of every 100), the middle half scored between 610 and 690 in reading and writing, and between 570 and 660 in math. Those numbers describe students who were admitted, enrolled, and chose to submit their scores, not all applicants. They are neither a minimum to meet nor a guarantee of anything.
Regarding transfers: of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 17 out of every 100 transferred to another institution without completing a degree at Loyola. That is a common proportion, slightly below the median among similar schools. Transferring is not failing. Separately, in the fall of 2023, new enrollment by students transferring from another institution was 57—a modest incoming flow. If your child ever needed to move, ask in writing, in advance, how credits are recognized: that information is not in any federal report.
The list price: high, with everything included
At Loyola University Maryland, among a population of 98 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $19,154. Among the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, totaling 94, it was $27,472; among those with EFC family income above $110,000, totaling 421, it was $34,010. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (population: 98) and the average for the highest-income band (population: 421) is $14,856. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $31,857.
$19,154 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The aid letter sent to you is what matters.
How it is paid for: widespread aid, common borrowing
Nearly everyone—the share is 97 out of every 100 degree-seeking students—receives some scholarship or grant aid that does not have to be repaid. Among recipients, the average is $36,264 per year. That is a high figure, but it is an average: it includes those who received much more and those who received much less. It is not your offer.
It is worth distinguishing one figure within that number: the Pell Grant, which is federal aid specifically for low-income families, reached only 18 out of every 100 students. That means the vast majority of the aid Loyola distributes is not Pell, but comes from other sources—the university itself, the state, or other programs. Ask directly who provides each scholarship or grant, what is required to qualify, and what is required to renew it each year.
And here is a truth I do not want to soften: the share of Loyola undergraduates who received a federal loan in school year 2022-23 was 53 out of every 100. That is more than half. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower was $6,268 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would be around $25,072, not counting interest—and that calculation should be made before the first signature, not at the end. This figure describes other families, not yours; what your child would need to borrow depends on the individual aid letter. But the general pattern is clear: at Loyola, financing through debt is common, not exceptional.
It is also worth knowing that Loyola offers a tuition installment payment plan and participates in a Promise program, two mechanisms that may help organize payment—it is wise to ask about their exact terms.
Campus life: housing, ROTC, sports, and support
Loyola has institution-provided housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—although that does not tell you whether a specific program has such a requirement. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying by the plan selected. The reported maximum student housing capacity is 3,318. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child: ask in writing about the rate, the application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
There is an ROTC opportunity, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked in the report—that does not mean they are impossible options; it means you need to ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
Loyola competes in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA, with membership reported in basketball and cross-country or track and field. That membership belongs to the school, not your child: if your child is interested in a sport, contact the coach directly to ask about roster spots, division, and whether athletic aid is available.
It also offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in the fall count, fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load online. Loyola does report having at least one complete program available through distance education, but that does not confirm that it is an undergraduate program or the major your child is interested in. Confirm it in writing.
Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment support for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for service members and their families, a student veterans’ organization, and a published disability-services page. The fact that these services exist and are reported does not say how good they are or how much the average student uses them. Ask about that during the visit.
Outcomes: students stay, and most finish
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, the share of full-time, first-time students who were still enrolled at Loyola or had already graduated one year later was 86 out of every 100. That is a high figure, and compared with similar schools, it ranks toward the top. But it is important to understand what it measures: it combines those still enrolled with those who had already finished, without separating the two groups or saying what happened to everyone else.
Regarding graduation: of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 80 out of every 100 graduated within six years. At four years, the figure was 76 out of every 100—only four points lower, a small difference. Compared with similar schools, Loyola ranks in the highest quarter of the group. It is a strong number. But a high percentage is not a promise for your child: it is what happened to the cohort of 2017. What is within your family’s control is making sure your child begins with credits in order from the first semester and knows from the first day who the academic advisor is.
Looking even further ahead, at eight years: of a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, 81 out of every 100 had earned a Loyola degree or certificate by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, that figure fell to 73 out of every 100—ten points lower than among those who did not receive Pell. Whether your family qualifies for Pell today does not determine your child’s outcome, but it is worth asking the school what specific support exists for those students: an assigned advisor, emergency aid, annual renewal of institutional scholarships and grants. And ask for the answer in writing.
Putting the pieces together
Loyola University Maryland is a private, medium-sized, highly residential university with a young community where Latino students are still few. It admits most applicants, but very few of those admitted ultimately attend—which tells you that it is worth applying and also that the final decision is usually made carefully, by comparing offers. Half of its students take out federal loans. And the great majority of those who enroll stay and finish.
None of this tells you whether Loyola is the right university for your child. That depends on three things this article cannot know: what your child truly wants to study and has built so far, what your family can and is willing to pay, and what the two of you decide together is worth pursuing.
You now understand one of those pieces in depth. Combine it with the other two, and a real plan will begin to emerge.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by Loyola University Maryland to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily covering the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Loyola University Maryland or the United States government; this article organizes public information to help you understand it.