Flexible, Fast-Paced Public Education at Frostburg
Frostburg State University appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Special Education Online Degree Programs.
Named the North’s 126th best by the U.S. News & World Report, Frostburg State University is a four-year USM member in Allegany County that confers 84 bachelor’s and 18 graduate degrees, including nine fully online options, at a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the CCNE-accredited Nursing Department chaired by Dr. Heather Gable offers an RN-BSN online with 60-credit 2+2 transfer tracks from seven schools like Harford Community College to fulfill 15 percent job growth through 2026. Directed by Dr. David Puthoff, the 120-credit BS in Biology lets undergrads conduct Compton Center research, intern at the Appalachian Lab, join Beta Beta Beta, and travel to Costa Rica.
Online via Canvas, the MS in Recreation and Parks Management builds a 30-credit curriculum led by Dr. Natalia Buta that blends 600-level courses like Organizational Behavior with thesis research and fifth-block internships like Shepherd Center for CPRP certification. Since Fall 2018, the AACSB-accredited College of Business headed by Dr. Vickie Maser has awarded a 36-credit MBA in Business Analytics in 12 months with seven-week online classes, such as Data Management, for 95 percent job placement.
Other Frostburg options include the BS in Wildlife & Fisheries, BA in English, BS in Ethnobotany, BS in Engineering, BS in Physics, MSN in Nursing Administration, MEd in Special Education, MS in Computer Science, MMS in Physician Assistant Studies, and EdD in Leadership.
About Frostburg State University
Frostburg State University first opened on September 15, 1902, after Maryland House Bill 742 appropriated $25,000 to build State Normal School No. 2 in Beall Park for teachers. In 1904, Principal Edward D. Murdaugh graduated eight students from the two-year education program. In 1913, the Model School was founded with 151 K-12 children for teaching practicum on-site. In 1935, the BS in Elementary Education became the Normal School’s first degree. In 1960, President Lillian Compton renamed it Frostburg State Teachers College. In 1976, the 40,000-volume Lewis J. Ort Library was erected. In July 1987, President Herb Reinhard Jr. oversaw the transition to Frostburg State University. The next Fall, FSU joined the University System of Maryland and launched a Hagerstown Center. In 1990, the Frederick MBA began for executive-level management. By 2003, the Online Learning Division was developed for Web courses.
Endowed for $24.3 million, Frostburg State University now employs 387 staff serving 4,638 undergrad and 656 post-grad Bobcats from 15 countries online or at six DC Metro locations with 190+ clubs like Artist Connection. In 2011, FSU won the Second Nature Annual Climate Leadership Award. In 2018, Frostburg State’s Omicron Pi received the Delta Zeta Outstanding Chapter Program Award. Frostburg accepted the 2018 ZAG Field Hockey Division III National Academic Team Award too. The Economist positioned Frostburg State University 100th for value-added education. On Niche, FSU features Maryland’s eighth most diversity, 15th top value, and 17th most liberal arts degrees. The Sierra Club declared Frostburg the 101st coolest school for sustainability. College Factual placed FSU 24th for botany, 126th for international studies, and 141st for recreation degrees. Research in Higher Education proclaimed FSU the 20th most co-efficient public master’s college.
Frostburg State University Accreditation Details
On November 15, 2018, Frostburg State University satisfactorily submitted the Monitoring Report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Board of Trustees to continue the Level V accreditation status through 2023-24 without sanctions under Provost Elizabeth Throop, Ph.D. This superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). The Academic Affairs Office also details these degree accreditations:
- Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
- Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
- Masters in Psychology Accreditation Council
- Council on Social Work Education Office of Accreditation
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
Frostburg State University Application Requirements
Admission to Frostburg State University is classified “selective” by the U.S. News & World Report since just 72.3 percent of the 3,436 Fall 2017 applicants were triumphant. Freshman Bobcats must be intellectually ready after at least 16 college-prep high school credits or the GED. Maintaining cumulative GPAs above 2.5 is required, though the average is 3.2. The middle 50th percentile present SAT scores of 950-1160. Mid-range ACT composite scores are 17-23. The Honors Program demands minimum 3.5 GPA, 1250 SAT, and 26 ACT marks. Qualifying transfers will have GPAs of 2.0 or higher in 24+ non-remedial college credits. Foreign students are accepted with at least 500 TOEFL pBT, 3.6 iTEP, 5.5 IELTS, and 2A EIKEN grades. Online BSN cohorts need valid state licensure plus 3.0 GPAs. The Graduate School seeks individuals who’ve finished regionally accredited bachelor’s education. College of Business entrants need a minimum 400 GMAT scores. The MS in Recreation and Parks Management requires three years of industry experience.
Frostburg State University has freshman deadlines of November 15th for Early Action and February 1st for Regular Decision. Undergrad transfers abide priority dates of June 1st for Fall and December 1st for Spring enrollment. The MS in Recreation and Parks Management closes on June 1st each year. The MMS in Physician Assistant Studies considers cohorts until January 15th. Other programs have rolling admission to apply any seven-week online term. Accordingly, complete the FSU or Common Application online for $45. Forward official academic records to 101 Braddock Rd. in Frostburg, MD 21532. For testing results, select SAT/GRE code 5402 or ACT code 1714. Fulfill checklist items like the three recommendations, resume or CV, technology verification form, 600-word purpose statement, professional certifications, and art portfolio. Inquire further by contacting (301) 687-4201 or [email protected].
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Frostburg State University published in-state undergrad tuition of $6,700 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s students pay $20,800 each year. Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio students in a 120-mile radius are billed $15,400. Mandatory service fees are $2,710 yearly. Room and board for the 11 dorms like Sowers Hall is $9,950 by year. FSU budgets $1,400 for books, $750 for travel, and $1,000 for personal needs. Annual undergrad attendance equals $19,360 in-state, $28,060 regionally, and $33,460 out-of-state. Online RN-BSN cohorts spend $272 to $570 per credit. The Graduate School prices master’s programs at $433 for Marylanders and $557 for non-residents per credit. Online instruction adds a $17 technology fee. The MMS in Physical Assistant Studies is an exception at $750 per credit.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the Financial Aid Office in Pullen Hall Room 114 gets 90 percent of new FSU Bobcats enrolled with tuition assistance averaging $7,588 for $4.43 million total. University programs include the Coach Ken Babcock Scholarship, Buckheit-Ketterman Family Scholarship, Anthony Wai Chiu Tam Science Scholarship, Dorothy Stone White Scholarship, Dr. William Gracie Scholarship, Enid Kennedy Nursing Scholarship, Henrietta Lease Presidential Scholarship, Katherine Ann Almquist Scholarship, Marjorie Phipps Communication Scholarship, Rita McKenzie Education Scholarship, and Walter More Scholarship. The Distinction Scholarship gifts $5,000 annually to freshmen meeting the 1250 SAT or 26 ACT minimum. Transfers with minimum 3.0 GPAs could earn the $2,500 Associate Degree Scholarship. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Work-Study Program, require FAFSA forms coded 002072. Marylanders also claim the Educational Assistance Grant, 2+2 Transfer Scholarship, Hal & Jo Cohen Nursing Scholarship, Esperanza Scholarship, and more.
Explore the four accredited colleges awarding 100+ degrees ranked 360th overall by Washington Monthly on the Frostburg State University website.