University of Maryland Eastern Shore

What it is like

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, known as UMES, sits in Princess Anne, a small town that is the county seat of Somerset County and had 3,446 residents at the 2020 census. This is the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland, not a big-city campus.

UMES is a public university with 2,391 undergraduates and 701 graduate students. About 46% of students are men, about 76% are Black, and the school admits about 96% of the students who apply. It is a land-grant university, one of 19 historically Black land-grant colleges tied to the Second Morrill Act of 1890, and that heritage shows in its agriculture school, its research farm and its coastal science center.

The main campus covers 745 acres in Princess Anne, and the university also runs a 385-acre research farm in southern Somerset County and an eight-acre coastal ecology center near Assateague Island. If you picture a campus with room to spread out in a small-town setting, you have the right idea. If you picture a downtown campus with a subway stop, this is the opposite.

History

UMES opened on September 13, 1886, as the Delaware Conference Academy. The Methodist Episcopal Church sponsored it, and Benjamin O. Bird and his wife, Portia Lovett Bird, were the first educators. Nine students showed up that first day. The school was run in prep-school style as a branch of Baltimore's Centenary Bible Institute, which became Morgan College in 1890.

That same year Congress passed the Second Morrill Act, which supported Black colleges teaching agriculture and related fields. Money from it reached the Princess Anne school, which was renamed Princess Anne Academy, and it tied the school to the Maryland Agricultural College, now the University of Maryland, College Park. Under that joint arrangement the state offered land-grant education to Black students at Princess Anne. In 1927 the school added college-level courses and worked as a junior college for roughly a decade.

The state took over next. Maryland bought the Princess Anne campus from Morgan for $100,000 in 1935, and the school came under the University of Maryland in 1936. In 1948 it became Maryland State College. It took its present name, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, on July 1, 1970. In 1988 the campus joined the University of Maryland System, and in 1997 that system was renamed the University System of Maryland.

Academics

UMES organizes its academics into five schools: the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences; the School of Business and Technology; the School of Education, Social Sciences and the Arts; the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions; and the School of Graduate Studies. The agriculture school, named for Simon A. Haley, runs an Agricultural Experiment Station and UMES Extension.

Look at what students actually graduate in, using the federal data: biology leads the bachelor's degrees with 44 awards, followed by criminal justice with 23 and hospitality administration with 22, then kinesiology and sociology with 19 each. On the graduate side, pharmacy is the biggest, with 37 first-professional degrees, and rehabilitation and therapeutic professions come next with 29.

Three programs are worth a close look. First, aviation. UMES has the only four-year bachelor's degree program in aviation in Maryland, with concentrations in Professional Pilot, Aviation Management, Aviation Electronics and Aviation Software. Flight training is FAA-approved under Part 141 and the professional pilot program is approved for the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot rules. Students fly Cessna and Piper aircraft out of Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport, a 20-minute drive from campus, and train on Frasca simulators.

Second, pharmacy. The Doctor of Pharmacy is a three-year program, the only one of its kind in Maryland according to the school, and the school says it is accredited by the Council for Pharmacy Education.

Third, the coast and the farm. Environmental science offers concentrations in marine ecology and fisheries science, and the Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center near Berlin, Maryland, across Sinepuxent Bay from Assateague Island National Seashore, is a field laboratory for the university's graduate marine program. Engineering, computer science, hospitality and tourism management and a set of agriculture options round out the list.

Strong students can apply to the Richard A. Henson Honors Program. Its criteria include a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher, and it has a separate application with a resume and a short essay. It offers honors coursework, leadership roles and study abroad.

Campus life

First-year students are required to live in university housing, and first-time freshmen must have a roommate, so your first year is spent in a residence hall with a built-in circle of neighbors. Residents of the traditional halls and student apartments sign up for a 14-meal or 19-meal dining plan. One first-year option is University Terrace, the newest freshman community for women, with suite-style rooms, semi-private bathrooms, a kitchen and free laundry for more than 300 residents each semester. Students who live with family in certain nearby counties, are 21 or older, or meet other listed conditions can request an exemption.

The Office of Student Experience lists three fraternities (Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma and Iota Phi Theta), three sororities (Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta and Sigma Gamma Rho) and two social fellowships, Groove Phi Groove and Swing Phi Swing. To join, a student needs at least 28 credits, a 2.75 GPA, full-time status and two consecutive semesters at UMES, so joining is not a first-semester option.

The Hawks compete in NCAA Division I, mostly in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and in the Northeast Conference for baseball and golf. The school lists men's and women's basketball, volleyball, cross country, track and field, golf, and softball, baseball, bowling, women's flag football and cheerleading. The bowling program has won NCAA national championships, the first in 2008. In 2026 the school launched men's volleyball, and its first team reached the Northeast Conference tournament. One thing to know before you visit: the athletics site lists no football team.

Support is close by. The Center of Access and Academic Success offers tutoring and coaching, each school has an academic advisor who guides first-year students, the Charles R. Drew Health Center offers physician access around the clock, and a food pantry and hygiene closet serve students who need them.

Traditions

Homecoming is the big week. UMES's student life page says it is also known as Hawkmania and describes a parade, food trucks and tailgating, and in 2025 the celebration was branded Hawkcoming After Next. That year's theme was Destination 1886, a nod to the founding year. The parade started at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 8, 2025, and the tailgate followed at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Student Cultural Development Center. The week also included an Alumni Central gathering on Friday, pep rallies and luncheons. Dates change every year, so check with the university before planning a trip around it.

The mascot is Harry the Hawk, the colors are maroon and gray, and the athletics slogan is Soar Above and Beyond. One alumna from the class of 1995, interviewed by a local station in 2025, said that many of the buildings on campus now did not exist when she studied there in the 1990s.

Basketball and volleyball games are played in the Hytche Athletic Center. UMES also marks its land-grant roots. In 2025 the university held an event for the 135th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act, and it announced a scholarship fund named for that law to support students in the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

Getting in

UMES accepts applications through its own UMES Standard Application, the Common Application or the Common Black College Application, and the application fee is $35. The university is test optional, so SAT or ACT scores are not required. The school prefers a 2.5 GPA and says special admission pathways exist for students who fall below that. It asks for four years of English, four of math, three of natural science and three of social science, plus official transcripts sent directly from each school you attended. Recommendation letters and personal statements are not required, though the school welcomes them.

Decisions are made on a rolling basis, usually within one to two weeks of receiving a complete application. The admissions page lists a priority date in November and a fall application date in February. Check the page for the current dates.

Students who fall below the preferred GPA may be pointed to the Summer Bridge Program, a five-week residential program for conditionally admitted students. Applicants with a strong record can also apply to the Richard A. Henson Honors Program, which has its own application.

The admissions office is at 1 College Backbone Road in Princess Anne, and you can reach it at (410) 651-6410 or by email at [email protected], Monday through Friday. Full instructions are on the UMES apply page.

Paying for it

UMES says 90% of its students qualify for financial aid and that it awards $10 million in scholarships each year. The FAFSA school code is 002106-00, and the financial aid office lists federal loans, work-study, grants and scholarships. Before you fall in love with any number, use the university's net price calculator, which will show what a family with your income and situation is likely to pay.

Admitted freshmen may receive the UMES Merit Grant, a one-time award of up to $5,000 based on GPA, applied to tuition and fees and listed in the acceptance letter. It does not renew.

Out-of-state families should look hard at the David A. Scott Scholarship Program. It is aimed at students admitted to an approved major in the Simon A. Haley School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, and it pays up to $15,000 a year for in-state students or $25,000 a year for out-of-state students, based on financial need. Recipients must be U.S. citizens with at least a 2.8 unweighted high school GPA, intend to build a career in food and agricultural sciences, and take at least 15 credits each semester. The page noted that the 2026 application had closed, so ask about the next cycle.

The UMES Foundation posts scholarship applications, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund are listed on the scholarship page. Current students who have used up other aid can apply for the EMSE General Scholarship, one-time help capped at $2,500 for the academic year. In 2025 MacKenzie Scott gave UMES $38 million, the largest single gift in its history, after an earlier $20 million gift.

For a family flying in from the West Coast, ask the financial aid office at (410) 651-6172 how out-of-state students are treated, and compare the answer with your net price result before you decide.

Visiting

UMES offers guided campus tours, and you pick a date from the calendar linked on the visit page. Tours start at the Student Development Center, which you reach by entering campus on UMES Boulevard and following it to the Student Services Center. The school allows two guests per student on a campus tour, so plan who is coming. Groups that want to eat in the dining hall can arrange that in advance with the campus caterer. If you cannot make the trip yet, UMES also offers a virtual tour online.

The Office of Admissions and Recruitment is at 1 College Backbone Road, open Monday through Friday, and handles visit questions at (410) 651-6410.

Give yourself time beyond the tour. In Princess Anne, the Teackle Mansion, built between 1802 and 1819, is a house museum and home of the Somerset County Historical Society, and the town's historic district covers about 150 acres and roughly 300 buildings. If you are interested in coastal science or the environment, the Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center is near Berlin, Maryland, across Sinepuxent Bay from Assateague Island National Seashore. Students in aviation may want to ask about seeing the flight operation at the Salisbury airport, which is a 20-minute drive from the main campus.

Who it fits

UMES fits students who want a small, residential campus and are excited by something specific: flying, pharmacy, agriculture, coastal science, hospitality, health professions or criminal justice. It also fits students who want tutoring and first-year advising close at hand, and who like the practical streak that comes with a land-grant school. Out-of-state families with an agriculture or natural sciences interest should ask about the Scott scholarship.

It is a good match for a student who is comfortable in a quiet town and would rather have space and community than nightlife. Because the school admits about 96% of applicants and has pathways for students below its preferred GPA, such as the Summer Bridge Program, it can be a real chance for a student who wants to grow into college with support.

It may not suit a student who wants a big city, a football Saturday, or a lot happening off campus. Princess Anne is small, and Salisbury is a drive away. Be honest with yourself about the numbers too. The federal graduation rate shown in the table on this page is 35%, about 62% of first-year students return for a second year, and about 56% of students receive Pell Grants, so ask the admissions and advising offices what they do to help students finish.

Getting there from the West Coast

There is no big airport next door, so plan for a drive. Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport, code SBY, is about a 20-minute drive from campus. Wikipedia lists American Eagle flights from there to Charlotte and Philadelphia, so a West Coast family could connect through one of those cities, but check the airlines for current service.

The larger airport within driving range is Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, BWI. Rome2rio puts the drive from BWI to Princess Anne at about 114 miles and 2 hours 33 minutes, and UMES's own directions describe a route of roughly 140 miles from the Baltimore and Washington area over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Route 50 East. Rent a car for this trip, because public transit from BWI takes about 3 hours 45 minutes and involves a bus change in Salisbury.

Philadelphia is about 150 miles away by road according to the university. If you are visiting other HBCUs on the same trip, the data shows Delaware State University 68 miles away, Bowie State University 81 miles, Howard University 87 miles and Hampton University 89 miles.