Hi everyone, I am a high school junior looking to major in political science. I fell in love with the campus at UMD but the area around it seemed not so good. I was wondering how safe the area is? Does off campus partying and bars occur in safer areas? Thank you.
Both my brother and sister went to UMD-College Park and driving around the surrounding area of the campus is definitely sketchy. Luckily, there is a lot of campus transportation to get you places safely. There is the frat and sorority row where a lot of parties take place. The bars are okay but I will tell you that one closed down for a bit because someone got stabbed and killed in a bar fight there. I mean I would just use common sense and maybe post your question on the Maryland page on this site. There are definitely areas that you should stay away from, but I am sure that you will figure it out or hear about it from other students.
From my understanding, it’s not the best area. College Park is pretty well-known for crime, including (especially?) prostitution. That said, the campus is safe. Use your best judgement and if you don’t get a good vibe from an area, especially at night, be cautious.