Best Economics Schools Near Gaithersburg, MD (2026)

Gaithersburg, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $35,810 to $88,741 per year for indexed programs. Gaithersburg has a population of about 69,225. Median household income is $107,496 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning economics-related role is Economist at a median $156,750 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Economics Schools to Gaithersburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Gaithersburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gaithersburg city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Gaithersburg. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD 17.6 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,860
Avg net price $15,678/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 150

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Hood College

Frederick, MD 22.6 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,089
Avg net price $20,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD 28.1 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,960
Avg net price $16,467/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

McDaniel College

Westminster, MD 33.0 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,663
Avg net price $21,916/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD 34.4 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
88.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,555
Avg net price $18,809/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 164

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD 34.8 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,652
Avg net price $30,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD 36.6 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,698
Avg net price $14,985/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Towson University

Towson, MD 36.8 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,390
Avg net price $17,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Maryland schools on the Maryland economics page.


Economics Wages Near Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Economist$156,750Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$143,939
Financial and Investment Analyst$108,330Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$99,477
Statistician$136,660Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$125,491
Management Analyst$126,830Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,465

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Gaithersburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population69,225Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$107,496Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gaithersburg-Area Cities With Economics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Gaithersburg, MD?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs near Gaithersburg. The closest is American University in Washington, DC (15.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Howard University (18.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Gaithersburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Gaithersburg are: Economist ($156,750), Statistician ($136,660), Management Analyst ($126,830). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rockville instead of Gaithersburg?

Rockville, MD is 4.7 miles from Gaithersburg and has its own set of local economics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Gaithersburg an affordable place to study economics?

Gaithersburg’s median household income of $107,496 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gaithersburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Economics Programs

Other Programs Available in Gaithersburg

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Gaithersburg:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.