Hood College

What Hood College does

Hood College is a private, independent liberal arts college founded in 1893 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. It serves traditional undergraduates, graduate students, working professionals, and military personnel through a portfolio that includes four-year undergraduate programs, master's and doctoral degrees (DOL, DBA), graduate certificates, and Skill Accelerator microcredentials. The institution runs an on-site education program at Fort Detrick for active-duty soldiers and partners with ApplyBoard for international student recruitment.

Core academic offerings span business (including a new ACBSP-accredited STEM MBA launching Fall 2026), computer science and cybersecurity, biomedical science and bioinformatics, counseling, education, nursing, and humanities. Specialized funded programs include a $999,850 NSF biotechnology training initiative in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing and a DOE-funded AI research collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The AI curriculum integrates machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and edge AI across disciplines, supported by a named cluster of eight AI-fluent faculty members. Infrastructure investment includes Phase Two of the Hodson Science and Technology Center renovation (funded by a $500,000 Kahlert Foundation grant) which will create a Bioscience Research and Education Center.

Hood operates a tuition-based revenue model with graduate tuition billed per credit, undergraduate tuition billed annually, and reduced cohort pricing for partner organizations such as Frederick County and Montgomery County Public Schools. Distribution is multi-channel: campus-based enrollment, online graduate programs, PK-12 district cohort partnerships, military on-site delivery at Fort Detrick, and international recruitment via ApplyBoard. The college is led by 12th President Debbie Ricker, Ph.D., who was inaugurated on October 18, 2025. Reported outcomes include an 84% post-graduation employment rate and a 40% promotion/post-graduation advancement rate among alumni, with employers spanning Adobe, AstraZeneca, Deloitte, Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, Oracle, the FDA, and Children's National Hospital.

Name

Hood College

Legal name

Hood College

Website

https://hood.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hood College is a private liberal arts institution in Frederick, Maryland, founded in 1893, serving undergraduates, graduate students, working professionals, and military personnel through degree, certificate, and microcredential programs spanning business, STEM, biotech, AI, education, and healthcare.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Graduate degree programs
• Undergraduate education
• Professional microcredentials
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Graduate Tuition: Graduate programs charge tuition varying by program (master's, doctoral, certificates). Programs include MBA, cybersecurity, biomedical science, counseling, education, and more. Financial aid, assistantships, and tuition discounts available.
2. Undergraduate Tuition: Undergraduate education with stated commitment to accessibility and financial aid. 4PLUS programs offer dual-degree options with average $8K savings for participants.
3. Skill Accelerator Badge Courses: Graduate-level microcredential courses charged per credit with reduced pricing for business and organizational cohorts. Badges are awarded for completing 1-2 graduate courses with B or better.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Hood College is a private higher education institution offering undergraduate degrees, graduate master's and doctoral programs, graduate certificates, and graduate-level Skill Accelerator microcredential badges. Programs span business (including a STEM MBA), cybersecurity, biomedical science, education, counseling, AI, biotechnology, and humanities, delivered on-campus in Frederick, Maryland, online, and through cohort partnerships with employers, school districts, and military installations.

Product overview

Hood College is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs. The core offerings include undergraduate programs, graduate degree programs (master's and doctoral), and continuing education through Skill Accelerator Badges. Graduate programs span business administration (including a new STEM MBA), biomedical science, bioinformatics, cybersecurity, computer science, counseling, education, nursing, and humanities. The institution provides specialized training programs funded by NSF for biotechnology and synthetic biology. Hood AI represents the college's AI-focused initiative combining faculty research with student education in machine learning, NLP, and computer vision. The 4PLUS dual-degree programs enable accelerated completion. Partnerships with 600+ organizations facilitate internships and career pathways. The Hodson Science and Technology Center renovation will establish a Bioscience Research and Education Center (BREC) for biotechnology education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% post-grad employment rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Miss America's Scholarship FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 February 2026Partnership to offer full-tuition scholarships to Miss Maryland's Teen winners and local titleholders starting Fall 2026. Scholarships support young women's education and leadership development.
• Washington FreedomminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2026Partnership to create exclusive student internship program offering hands-on experience in IT, sports marketing, game-day operations, cybersecurity, and business administration. Washington Freedom is exploring establishing a home cricket park in Frederick County region.
• Infinite Computer SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2026Partnered with Hood College and Frederick Community College through MOU to launch exclusive student internship program. Initiative aimed at workforce development and economic vitality in Frederick County.
• Frederick Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2026MOU partnership with Washington Freedom and Infinite Computer Solutions to create student internship program spanning multiple disciplines including IT, cybersecurity, and business.
• Towson UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2024NSF-funded partnership with Towson University ($95,588 grant) to develop educational resources for edge intelligence, involving AI integration in network devices. Project aims to design low-cost testbeds, develop instructional materials, and integrate them into curricula at both institutions.
• Fort DetrickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for active-duty soldiers stationed at Fort Detrick, honoring GoArmy educational benefits without additional tuition expenses. Provides degree programs and professional development for military personnel.
• Frederick County Public SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect Payment programs for FCPS employees and cohort agreements for Educational Leadership programs with reduced pricing for dedicated cohorts.
• Montgomery County Public SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCohort agreements for Educational Leadership program providing reduced pricing for dedicated cohorts of students in both master's and certificate options.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOE-funded partnership (DE-SC0025718, $150K) for Building a Regional AI Community Through Collaborative Research and Traineeship. PI: Aijuan Dong, Co-PI: Cheng Qian.
• ApplyBoardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational recruitment partner helping Hood College recruit international students. Ish Verma serves as regional recruiter representing Hood College.
• GoogleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host Applied Computing Series, bringing quality computer science education to Hood students through department support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• McDaniel College: Small private liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland with undergraduate and graduate programs and a similar regional Mid-Atlantic footprint. Comparable in scale, history (founded 1867), and dual undergraduate/graduate academic model to Hood College.
• Mount St. Mary's University: Private Catholic university in Emmitsburg, Maryland offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with ROTC and strong regional employer connections. Closely comparable to Hood in size, Maryland location, and breadth of graduate professional offerings.
• Goucher College: Small private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland with graduate programs and a focus on integrating liberal arts with professional preparation. Similar enrollment scale and Maryland Mid-Atlantic market positioning to Hood College.
• Stevenson University: Private university in Owings Mills, Maryland with undergraduate and graduate programs emphasizing career-focused professional degrees. Comparable in Maryland-based operations, professional/graduate program mix, and workforce-aligned positioning.
• Notre Dame of Maryland University: Private Catholic university in Baltimore with historic roots as a women's college, now co-educational, offering undergraduate and graduate programs including doctoral and professional certificates. Comparable in Maryland location, transition to co-ed, and graduate program breadth.
• Loyola University Maryland: Private Jesuit university in Baltimore with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Comparable in Mid-Atlantic regional market, breadth of graduate offerings, and integration of liberal arts with professional preparation, though larger in scale.
• Washington College: Small private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland offering primarily undergraduate education with a regional Mid-Atlantic recruitment base. Comparable in Maryland location, private liberal arts identity, and small-institution scale.
• Frederick Community College: Public community college in Frederick, Maryland that recently signed an MOU with Hood College for shared internship programs. Direct local peer and pipeline partner given overlapping geography and shared student populations.

Broad incumbents

• Towson University: Large public university in Towson, Maryland with extensive undergraduate and graduate programs across STEM, business, and education. Directly relevant as Hood's NSF partner on the edge intelligence curriculum development grant and as a regional competitor for STEM students.
• University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC): Large public online-focused university serving working adults and military-affiliated students, headquartered in the Maryland region. Comparable in adult-learner and military markets (April Boulton previously worked at UMGC) but at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hood_college
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCe4MijHCzfgmb4MGxstlVpg?
• Facebookfacebook.com/138540436260
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hood-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/hood_college
• TikToktiktok.com/@hood_college

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hood College