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“Small liberal arts college 40 miles from Washington, D.C.”
Hood College is a private nonsectarian liberal arts college in Frederick, Maryland — 40 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1893 as a women's college and fully coeducational since 2003, Hood offers 33 undergraduate majors with particular strength in cybersecurity, environmental sciences, and health professions. The college holds an NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) designation and offers accelerated 4PLUS pathways that combine bachelor's and master's degrees in fields including cybersecurity and data science. Hood ranks #55 among Regional Universities North and #17 nationally for Best Undergraduate Teaching (U.S. News 2026), with a 10:1 student-faculty ratio and a 10-year median graduate salary of $47,300. NOTE: As of April 2026, MSCHE found Hood did not meet Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement) due to multi-year operating budget deficits; formal accreditation action is expected June/July 2026. Academic quality was not cited. Prospective students should monitor developments and consult directly with admissions.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
—
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$47,700
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $47,700
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
