University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (often referred to as UMBC) is an American public research university, located in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, mostly in the community of Catonsville, approximately 10 minutes (8.3 miles) from downtown Baltimore City and 30 minutes (33.5 miles) from Washington, D.C. With a fall 2014 enrollment of about 14,000 students, over 50 undergraduate majors, over 60 graduate programs, and the first university research park in Maryland, UMBC has been named the #1 Up-and-Coming University for six years in a row, since 2009, by US News & World Report. In addition, US News & World Report has placed UMBC in the top ten for best undergraduate teaching six years in a row, being placed at #5, the second highest-ranked public university.

Established as a part of the University of Maryland System in 1966, the university specializes in the natural sciences and engineering, while also offering programs in the liberal arts, and social sciences. Athletically, the UMBC Retrievers have 19 NCAA Division I teams that participate in the America East Conference.