Welcome to the Hill.

Our main campus is in the town of Westminster, Maryland, just outside Baltimore. We call it the Hill, and it's where a world-class education combines with a big-hearted community to create a college experience like no other.

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Welcome to McDaniel

What if the smartest, most driven people you’ve ever met were also the kindest, most helpful people you’ve ever met? What if the most welcoming and supportive place you’ve ever been was also the place that challenged you every single day to go beyond your academic, social, and physical limits?

Welcome to McDaniel—not just a college, not just a place—an experience designed with your growth and fulfillment at the very center. Filled to the brim with professors, advisors, coaches, students, facilities, and programs that will bring out your very best, the entirety of the McDaniel campus is here for you. Not just for the next four years, but the next forty and beyond.

Whether you’re testing your VO2 max in the Gill Center, chatting in fluent Spanish with your roommates in the Spanish House, conducting research with one of your professors, or just enjoying a coffee in the Starbucks in the library (yes, that’s a real thing), McDaniel will both feel like home and like the non-stop training ground you need it to be as you pursue your interests to build a fulfilling, rewarding life.

Over 85% of McDaniel students live on campus.

When you choose to live on campus, you'll get a front row seat to exciting events, social opportunities with friends and the richness of residential college life. Daily announcements highlight interesting and fun things to do. Across campus, digital signs promote on-campus lectures, art exhibits and more to help ensure you never miss an opportunity to engage.

The Green Terror

The Green Terror first appeared in the October 15, 1923 edition of the Western Maryland monthly. The article recounts the Western Maryland College (WMC) football game with Washington and Lee in Lexington, Virginia. Although WMC lost by a 19-7 margin, the 11 players fielded that day were called “Green Terrors.”

Some keepers of College history and folklore say that then-Coach D.K. Shroyer coined the term “Terror” to boost the morale of his players after their disheartening loss to Washington and Lee. Subsequently, it’s believed that Baltimore Sun reporter W. Wilson Wingate, class of 1918, used the term in a game story. Still others claim that a Virginia reporter described the green-clad team as “terrors” after a decisive victory.

Whatever the origin of the Green Terror, the name has come to represent the spirit of the College community both on and off the athletic field. The Green Terror has seen several incarnations—a wolf-like critter, a bobcat and even a leopard—but currently reigns as the symbol of the deep-rooted commitment to excellence and perseverance that is found on the Hill.

The Green Terror is more than a mascot. It's a lifestyle. Living like a Green Terror means tackling every challenge head on and using every opportunity to go after your goals.

1950's Green Terror

1970's Green Terror

1980's Green Terror

1990's Green Terror

2000's Green Terror

Today's Green Terror

The dragon under the staircase in Decker Center.

A Campus Tradition The Hidden Dragon

Hidden on the college's campus, the infamous "hidden dragon" was created by students. Its location remains unknown until you're let in on the secret. Will you discover the whereabouts of the dragon's cave?

See for Yourself

student research — Impressive research facilities and labs await your arrival.

Aerial view of Kenneth R. Gill Stadium/Hoffa Field. — Athletic facilities, including the football stadium and the tennis course, greet you as you arrive on campus.

Carroll Hall in the summer. — Home to the Office of Admissions, Carroll Hall is one of our most historic campus buildings.

The Arch illuminated in the dark. — Erected in 1898 to honor the college's first president, James Thomas Ward, Ward Memorial Arch is where students begin and end their undergraduate journey.

Hoover Library is the academic heart of the college.

Student gathered on campus for Climate Change. — Referred to as "Red Square" for the red brick square in the center, many student events are held here in the center of campus.

Students in hammocks on campus. — The college's tall trees make for a beautiful place to hand your hammock.

Student walking in front of Baker Memorial Chapel. — One of two chapels on campus that reflects our historical association with the Methodist Church, Big Baker Chapel is also home to academic departments.

Hallway in Lewis Recitation Hall. — Home to our business program, you'll take classes and connect with faculty in Lewis.

Theatre productions (and the theatre department) are housed in Alumni Hall.

Stadium Caboose — The red caboose is situated alongside Rembert Football Field, honoring our past as Western Maryland College.

A Hill Made for Sledding

Regularly acknowledged as among the "Best Places for Sledding in Carroll County", students (alongside Westminster community members!) hit the hill for sledding when we get our first snow day of the season. Continuing a tradition that goes back decades, today's students no longer careen down on large dining room trays like they did in the 1950s- traditional sleds are the norm (though mattresses and tables have been tried in the past)!