College Profile:
Towson University

The University at a Glance
Towson University (TU), a regional metropolitan university founded in 1866, offers degrees in the liberal arts and sciences as well as in pre-professional and professional disciplines. Towson’s beautiful 328-acre campus is situated in Towson, Maryland, a suburban community eight miles north of Baltimore’s popular downtown area. The university offers the bachelor’s degree in 62 areas, the master’s degree in 35, and three doctorates. Superior teaching and continuous scholarly growth are both hallmarks of the Towson faculty. The university is nationally acclaimed for its outstanding offerings in business, communications, computer science, fine arts, health professions, teacher education, and women’s studies.

Towson University offers academic programs through eight colleges: the College of Business and Economics, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the College of Health Professions, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, the College of Graduate Education and Research, and the College of Extended Programs.

More than 17,000 full-time and part-time students are enrolled at the university. Their numbers include over 800 international students from 100 nations. TU is home to more than 14,000 undergraduates; more than 13% are minority students. There are 14 residence facilities on campus, including apartment complexes, modern high-rise towers, and more traditional two- and three-story residence halls. Campus life offers exciting opportunities in many areas; academic, athletic, cultural, and social. TU is home to over 100 campus organizations and student clubs. Fraternities, sororities, and social and professional clubs all find a home at TU. Students love to gather at the University Union, which houses the school bookstore, dining facilities, post office, a recreation center, ATM machines, and more. Students have access to a counseling center, an academic advising center, a health center, and a career center.

Towson University is represented by teams in 11 men’s and 12 women’s sports. The university completes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Tigers also participate in the Colonial Athletic Association in 21 sports, as well as the East Atlantic Gymnastics League, while the Tiger football squad is a member of the Patriot League. Towson boasts a 24-acre athletic complex that includes Johnny Unitas Stadium, home to Tiger football, track, field hockey, and lacrosse teams. The Towson Center, with capacity seating of over 5,000, is home to Tiger basketball teams as well as the volleyball and gymnastics squads. Athletic facilities at TU include an NCAA-regulation swimming pool, tennis, racquetball and squash courts, gymnasiums, weight training rooms, climbing walls, a sand volleyball court, and a new fitness center. Towson also offers an intramural program for men and women.

Location and Environment
Towson University is situated in Baltimore County, in the pleasant suburb of Towson. Towson Town Center, the area’s prime upscale shopping center, is located 10 minutes from campus. Bookstores, movie theaters, libraries, and restaurants are but a brief walk from campus. Just 20 minutes to the south are the cultural and educational resources of downtown Baltimore. The city is home to Federal Hill, the Maryland Science Center, the world-famous National Aquarium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the Walters Art Museum. Towson is centrally located within the mid-Atlantic region, conveniently close to the Appalachian Mountains, the Atlantic beaches, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City.

Off-Campus Opportunities
The university provides opportunities for off-campus study in more than 40 countries in Asia, Australia, Canada, Central and South America, Europe and the Middle East. Each year nearly 250 students engage in Towson’s exchange and study abroad programs.
The university’s Internship Program offers students the chance to earn college credit while gaining valuable work experience and exploring career choices. Towson places over 700 undergraduates in internships across the country each year.

Tuition, Room and Board, & Fees
The estimated 2003-2004 annual tuition and fees for Maryland residents are $6,226 and $14,298 for out-of-state students. Room and board charges are an estimated $6,818 per year.

Approximately 66 percent of full-time undergraduates at Towson University receive financial assistance of some kind. Assistance is available to qualified students through grants, loans, scholarships, and employment, both on- and off-campus. The university takes part in major federal and state aid programs. The university also offers academic scholarships to qualified applicants.

Full- and Part-time Faculty
Towson provides many opportunities for one-on-one contact between students and faculty. The university also promotes a nurturing environment designed to satisfy the personal and professional goals of its undergraduates. The student/faculty ratio is 18:1; small classes (25 to 35 students, on average) allow undergraduates to interact directly with professors.

Eighty-four percent of the university’s full-time teachers have earned the Ph.D. or a terminal degree in their fields of expertise.

Admission Requirements
Towson considers applicants who have taken college-preparatory courses in high school. The Admissions Committee looks at the applicant’s high school grade point average in academic courses, standardized test scores (SAT I or ACT), letters of recommendation from appropriate academic officials, and other indications of the applicant’s ability to succeed at the college level. All entering freshmen must take placement exams in mathematics, reading, and writing unless SAT I scores allow an exemption.

The middle 50th percentile of students accepted for admission scored between 560 to 600 Verbal and 580 to 620 Math on the SAT I. The mean high school GPA for this group was 3.66.