College of Southern Maryland
La Plata, Maryland
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 2 years.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
14% gap between the two groups
20% gap between the two groups
2% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $4,798 |
| $30k–$48k | $5,287 |
| $48k–$75k | $7,895 |
| $75k–$110k | $10,120 |
| $110k+ | $12,180 |
How College of Southern Maryland compares
This college against the Maryland and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of College of Southern Maryland students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at College of Southern Maryland
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Certificate | $84,769 | — | +4,221% | Strong return |
| Business/Commerce, General | Certificate | $70,298 | — | +2,649% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Certificate | $75,040 | $9,900 | +2,245% | Strong return |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Certificate | $60,563 | — | +1,591% | Strong return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Certificate | $49,873 | $8,262 | +299% | Strong return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Certificate | $46,413 | $11,000 | +7% | Break-even |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at College of Southern Maryland
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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