Is Arizona State University or the University of Maryland harder to get into?

The University of Maryland is harder to get into overall. UMD draws a more selective applicant pool, especially for out-of-state students, and admissions there tend to be more competitive across majors than at Arizona State. Arizona State is a large public university with broad access and a more admission-friendly overall process.

One big difference is admissions posture. ASU is known for being relatively accessible and for publishing clear baseline academic requirements, which makes it more predictable for applicants who meet those standards. UMD, by contrast, uses a more selective review process and is more likely to have stronger competition even among well-qualified students.

Another differentiator is applicant demand. Maryland benefits from its location near Washington, D.C. and attracts many high-achieving in-state and out-of-state applicants, which raises the bar. ASU also gets a huge number of applications, but its size and mission support enrolling a wider academic range of students.

Program structure matters too. At Maryland, some programs and living-learning options can be especially competitive, so getting into the university itself can feel tighter overall. At ASU, while certain majors can still be selective, the university as a whole is not usually viewed as being as difficult to enter as UMD.

So for a simple side-by-side on overall admission difficulty, Maryland is the tougher admit.