Maryland ranks first among the states in the percentage of professional and technical workers (25.0%) in the workforce.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, data for 1999.

Johns Hopkins Hospital ranks first in the U.S. News honor roll of best hospitals in the nation, demonstrating outstanding competence in sixteen specialties.
Source: U.S. News and World Report, July 2001.

Maryland ranks first in the nation in the rate of high school completions (95%) defined as the percentage of 18- to 24-year olds who have a high school credential. This is considerably higher than the national average of 85 percent.
Source: The National Education Goals Panel.

Maryland ranks first among the states for growth in venture capital investment over the past five years. According to the National Venture Capital Association, venture capital invested in Maryland grew at a compound annual rate of 58.9 percent between 1996 and 2001, indicating "considerable growth and promise" for Maryland in the new economy.
Source: National Venture Capital Association, October 22, 2001 press release. (www.nvca.org)

Maryland has the lowest poverty rate in the nation, with 7.2 percent of the population living below the poverty level, compared with 12.3 percent for the U.S. as a whole.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, average data for 1998-1999.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County leads all other public research universities in the production of bachelor's degrees in Information Technology (282 in 1997, the most recent year for which data is available). UMBC also leads in the production of information technology bachelors degrees for women (92 in 1997).
Source: U.S. Department of Education statistics, as quoted in April 1, 2001 press release by UMBC.

Approximately 20 percent of the population in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area use cellular phones, which ranks highest among metro areas in the nation. This is attributed to high income and education levels in the area, and the focus on technology companies.
Source: Federal Communications Commission as reported in The Daily Record, December 11, 1999.

In a survey measuring how well states are using technology to streamline government operations and improve delivery of services to their citizens, Maryland ranks first in electronic commerce and business regulation, fifth in law enforcement and courts, and seventh in management and administration. In fact, Maryland received a perfect score of 100 percent in business and e-commerce, and ranks among the top 15 states in all six categories surveyed so far this year.
Source: 2001 Digital State Survey, conducted by The Center for Digital Government and the Progress & Freedom Foundation, as quoted in Government Technology magazine.

Maryland ranks second in the nation in National Institutes of Health research and development contract awards ($236 million).
Source: National Institutes of Health, data for FY 2000.

Maryland ranks second nationally in federal obligations for research and development ($8.1 billion).
Source: National Science Foundation, data for FY 1999.

Maryland ranks third among the states in non-federal physicians per 100,000 population, with over 20,000 doctors statewide.
Source: American Medical Association, data for 1998.

Maryland ranks third among the states in per capital federal government expenditures, totaling $45.1 billion, or $8,513 per person. In Defense Department expenditures, Maryland ranks 5th overall ($8.6 billion), and 4th per capita ($1,623).
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Consolidated Federal Funds Report for Fiscal Year 2000.

According to the most recent annual "Top Techno MBA Survey" by Computerworld magazine, the University of Maryland College Park ranks third nationally in top business schools that prepare their MBA students to be technology leaders of the future.
Source: Computerworld magazine, September 27, 1999.

Maryland ranks third in the 2001 States' New E-Economy Index developed by the META Group, a research and information technology consulting firm. Maryland ranked among the top five states in three of the five indicator categories, including knowledge jobs, technological innovation capacity and economic dynamism and competition.
Source: Metricnet, a division of the META Group, Inc. (www.metricnet.com/specials/ sneiintro.html)

Maryland ranks third nationwide by employment in defense electronics manufacturing, with nearly 10,000 jobs, and eighth nationally in software services with more than 38,000 workers. The state also ranks 10th in communications equipment manufacturing employment with 6,500 workers.
Source: AeA (American Electronics Association) 2001 Cyberstates; data for 1999 (www.aeanet.org).

Maryland is one of the ten states selected as a 2001 Honor Roll State by the Corporation for Enterprise Development in its annual Development Report Card for the States. The Report Card provides an annual assessment of each state's economy and potential for future growth. Maryland received A's in two major categories, performance and development capacity, and a B rating in business vitality.
Source: Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2001 drc.cfed.org

Maryland has the fourth highest median household income in the nation at $52,436, which is 27 percent above the national average.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Census 2000 Supplementary Survey, data for 2000.

Maryland ranks fourth among the states in the percentage of the population (31.5%) age 25 and over that has completed a bachelor's degree or more.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Census 2000 Supplementary Survey, data for 2000.

Maryland ranks fourth among the states in doctoral scientists and engineers per 100,000 population (426). The state ranks second overall in doctoral scientists and fourth in doctoral engineers. In the science fields, Maryland ranks first for PhD's in biological and agricultural sciences, and first also in health sciences. The state ranks second in computer and mathematical sciences and fourth in physical and related sciences.
Source: National Science Foundation, data for 1999.

The Washington, D.C. area, which includes suburban Maryland, is ranked fourth in Fortune magazine's "Best Cities for Business" survey. Maryland's growing life sciences industry, particularly surrounding the National Institutes of Health, was cited as a factor in the ranking.
Source: Fortune magazine, November 27, 2000 (www.fortune.com).

Maryland ranks fifth among the states in research and development intensity, which is the ratio of R&D expenditures to GSP (gross state product). Maryland ranks tenth in total R&D performance, first in federal intramural research, and sixth in R&D performed at universities and colleges.
Source: National Science Foundation, data for 1998.

Maryland ranks among the best-managed state governments in the country, receiving a B+ average and tying for fourth place in the 2001 Government Performance Project undertaken by Governing magazine and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The state earned the country's top grade in management of capital projects, one of the five government areas graded in the study.
Source: Governing magazine's Government Performance Project, February 2001.

Maryland ranks fifth among the states in per capita personal income ($33,872).
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, preliminary data for 2000.

Maryland ranks fifth in the U.S. in the Milken Institute's New Economy Index. This index ranks states based on criteria critical to future high-tech growth, and the states ranked highest are those that are most capable of turning their research capabilities into commercial products.
Source: The Milken Institute, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California, October 2001. (www.milken-inst.org)

Maryland ranks sixth as an "Entrepreneurial Hot Spot" using the measures of the concentration of successful small start-up firms, and places where entrepreneurs have the most success in terms of job growth. Among the 50 largest metro areas nationally, Washington also ranks sixth.
Source: Cognetics, Inc., a Cambridge, Massachusetts consulting firm, as reported in The Washington Post, December 6, 1999.

Maryland ranks sixth nationally in the State Business Retention Vitality Index developed by BizMiner. The index tracked 10 million firms from 1997 to 2000, and developed scores which rated states on business survival, employment retention and replenishment, and sales growth.
Source: BizMiner, a product of the Brandow Company, an economic development research and planning firm, July 2000. (www.brandow.com)

Maryland has one of the seven best state initiatives for helping children and families, according to the most recent ranking compiled by the Children's Rights Council, a national child advocacy organization. The top seven states have passed new laws, developed new programs or implemented new initiatives that show a dedication to helping families.
Source: Children's Rights Council, 2001. www.gocrc.com

Metropolitan Baltimore ranks ninth out of 219 metro areas in adjusted per capita income, which factors the cost of living into personal income. Income in the Baltimore metro area is higher than the national average, while the cost of goods and services is lower, yielding a high economic standard of living.
Source: The Relative Economic Standard of Living in U.S. Metropolitan Areas in 1998, G. Yochum and V. Agarwal, Old Dominion University.

The Sierra Club's 1999 Sprawl Report ranks states on four main factors. Maryland ranks first nationally in "Open Space Protection", third in "Land Use Planning" and "Community Revitalization", and 12th in "Transportation Planning."
Source: Sierra Club.

Maryland ranks 13th lowest nationally in state and local government tax revenue as a percentage of personal income.
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators, using Bureau of the Census and Bureau of Economic Analysis data for 1998.

The University of Maryland's Smith School of Business ranks 13th overall in the Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Business School Survey. The school also ranks 5th among top public schools, 8th in "overall value for the money invested in the recruiting effort", 8th in students' entrepreneurial skills, and 8th among small schools with fewer than 500 full-time MBA students.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2001.

According to U.S. News and World Report, Johns Hopkins University holds the following rankings:
- 16th overall among top national universities - doctoral.
- 2nd among top medical schools - research.
- 5th in nursing.
- 14th in undergraduate engineering and 27th in graduate engineering, with a 1st place ranking in graduate biomedical engineering and 6th in environmental health.
- 1st in graduate public health and 9th in graduate health services administration.
- 6th in doctoral biology, with top five rankings in cell biology/development, genetics, microbiology, and neuroscience, and a 1st place ranking in doctoral pharmacology/toxicology.
Source: U. S. News and World Report, America's Best Colleges Year 2002 Guide, and other online rankings.

According to U.S. News and World Report, the University of Maryland, College Park holds the following rankings:
- 21st overall among top public national universities - doctoral.
- 16th in undergraduate business administration, with top ten rankings in management information systems and e-commerce.
- 9th in graduate management information systems.
- 18th in graduate engineering and 26th in undergraduate engineering.
- 11th in doctoral computer science, with top ten rankings for artificial intelligence, databases and software.
- 14th in doctoral physics, with a 1st place ranking in nonlinear dynamics/chaos theory.
Source: U. S. News and World Report, America's Best Colleges Year 2002 Guide, and other online rankings.

Other Maryland colleges/universities that rank highly in the U.S. News and World Report survey include:
- The University of Maryland at Baltimore ranks among the top 50 U.S. law schools, with top five rankings in health law, environmental law and clinical training.
- St. Mary's College of Maryland ranks 2nd among top public liberal arts colleges in the nation.
- Loyola College ranks 2nd among top northern universities - masters.
- Towson University and Salisbury State University rank in the top ten of public northern universities - masters.
- The College of Notre Dame of Maryland ranks 2nd and Hood College ranks 4th in best values among northern universities - masters.
- The University of Maryland at Baltimore ranks 10th nationally in nursing.
- The Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences ranks 5th in graduate community health.
- The United States Naval Academy ranks 6th in undergraduate engineering programs (among schools without PhD programs).
Source: U. S. News and World Report, America's Best Colleges Year 2002 Guide, and other online rankings.

The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland College Park ranks 23rd in a worldwide ranking of top full-time MBA programs, and 19th among U.S. schools. It also ranks 6th among business school at public institutions in the U.S., and offers the highest value for the money among all U.S. schools in the top 25. Other rankings include 4th place in IT and 7th place in Entrepreneurship worldwide.
Source: The Financial Times, MBA 2001 ranking.

Washington metro ranks 4th among the nation's "Most Wired Cities" in 2001, according to Yahoo Internet Life magazine. DC Metro also ranks 4th in the percentage of households using the Internet (64.9%), 5th in domains per 1,000 firms (1,934.0) and 8th in online spending per online user ($180).
Source: Yahoo Internet Life magazine, April 2001.