Gaithersburg is centrally located within an hour's drive of a tremendous variety of colleges and universities. Georgetown and George Washington Universities in nearby Washington, D.C., Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and the University of Maryland in College Park are premier institutions with international reputations. The area also boasts numerous smaller schools such as Mount Saint Mary's (Emmitsburg), Hood College (Frederick), American and Catholic Universities (Washington, D.C.) and George Mason University (Fairfax, VA).

Among the 20 largest metropolitan areas, Washington and its suburbs have the fourth highest concentration of college and graduate students.

At the nearby Shady Grove Life Sciences Center, both the University of Maryland (Shady Grove) and Johns Hopkins University maintain satellite campuses focusing on technology education. Columbia Union College has a satellite facility that is located on Perry Parkway in Gaithersubrg.

The area has experienced the fastest growth rate in technology employment among metropolitan areas with the most high-technology workers.

Two local campuses of Montgomery College offer a wide variety of Associate's Degree, career and technical certificate and alternative delivery programs. Every year thousands of employees are trained in standard and customized programs.

A new agreement allows employers to pay the in-county tuition rate, even for employees living outside Montgomery County. Call the college's coordinator of business recruitment for details.

Montgomery College also has teamed with the University of Maryland, University College to allow students to attain an Associate's Degree and then take upper-level courses at University of Maryland Shady Grove to achieve a Bachelor's Degree.