2026 Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools in Maryland

[General Business/Commerce](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/general-business-commerce/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 25 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general business/commerce schools.
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2026 Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general business/commerce, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools
For return on investment in general business/commerce, no school beat Frederick Community College this year. Frederick Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Frederick. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,849, while out-of-state students pay about $10,042. Students borrow a median of $7,062 to complete the general business/commerce program here. General Business/commerce graduates of Frederick Community College earn a median of $33,619 early in their careers. Set against $7,062 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general business/commerce will find it at Carroll Community College, which ranked #2. Carroll Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Westminster. Students from in state pay about $4,308 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,158. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $17,398 in student loans. General Business/commerce graduates of Carroll Community College earn a median of $49,058 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chesapeake College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Located in the rural area of Wye Mills, Chesapeake College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,274, compared with $8,768 for out-of-state students. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $8,380 in student loans. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $52,395. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The Community College Of Baltimore County came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. The Community College Of Baltimore County is a very large public school located in the suburb of Baltimore. In-state tuition and fees average $4,110, while out-of-state students pay about $10,182. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $17,499. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $36,801. Set against $17,499 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Montgomery College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Located in the city of Rockville, Montgomery College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,394, compared with $14,250 for out-of-state students. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $9,250 in student loans. General Business/commerce graduates of Montgomery College earn a median of $29,449 early in their careers. Set against $9,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Hagerstown Community College placed #6 among the best values for general business/commerce. Set in the suburb of Hagerstown, Hagerstown Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,320, compared with $8,190 for out-of-state students. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $12,750 in student loans. General Business/commerce graduates of Hagerstown Community College earn a median of $41,970 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Southern Maryland landed the #7 spot for general business/commerce value this year. Located in the rural area of La Plata, College Of Southern Maryland is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,200, compared with $9,450 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the general business/commerce program here. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from College Of Southern Maryland generally make around $51,719. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Baltimore City Community College earned the #8 position for value in general business/commerce this year. Baltimore City Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Baltimore. Students from in state pay about $3,314 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,394. Students borrow a median of $11,202 to complete the general business/commerce program here. General Business/commerce graduates of Baltimore City Community College earn a median of $51,023 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,202 median debt.
Wor Wic Community College landed the #9 spot for general business/commerce value this year. Wor Wic Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Salisbury. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,840, while out-of-state students pay about $8,400. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $13,995 in student loans. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $51,392. That is a strong return on a $13,995 median debt.
Harford Community College earned the #10 position for value in general business/commerce this year. Harford Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Bel Air. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,032, while out-of-state students pay about $8,832. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $10,750. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from Harford Community College generally make around $50,636. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Prince Georges Community College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Set in the suburb of Largo, Prince Georges Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,034, while out-of-state students pay about $8,762. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $11,837 in student loans. General Business/commerce graduates of Prince Georges Community College earn a median of $56,960 early in their careers. Set against $11,837 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Howard Community College landed the #12 spot for general business/commerce value this year. Set in the city of Columbia, Howard Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,599, with out-of-state students paying around $10,836. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $18,115 in student loans. General Business/commerce graduates of Howard Community College earn a median of $56,172 early in their careers. Set against $18,115 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Maryland University College earned the #13 position for value in general business/commerce this year. Set in the suburb of Adelphi, University Of Maryland University College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,136, compared with $12,336 for out-of-state students. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $23,276 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from University Of Maryland University College generally make around $65,890. Set against $23,276 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Maryland College Park placed #14 among the best values for general business/commerce. Set in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,809, compared with $41,186 for out-of-state students. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $20,836 in student loans. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $57,901. That is a strong return on a $20,836 median debt. The acceptance rate is 45%.
Anne Arundel Community College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Set in the suburb of Arnold, Anne Arundel Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,322, while out-of-state students pay about $11,522. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $13,947 in student loans. General Business/commerce graduates of Anne Arundel Community College earn a median of $59,894 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,947 median debt.
University Of Baltimore landed the #16 spot for general business/commerce value this year. University Of Baltimore is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Baltimore. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, compared with $23,984 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $25,000. General Business/commerce graduates of University Of Baltimore earn a median of $52,329 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Baltimore admits about 79% of applicants.
Johns Hopkins University placed #17 among the best values for general business/commerce. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. In-state tuition and fees average $64,730. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $13,426 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University generally make around $128,210. Set against $13,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Strayer University Maryland ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Located in the suburb of Suitland, Strayer University Maryland is a small private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $13,920 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $44,664. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from Strayer University Maryland generally make around $49,793. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Bowie State University placed #19 among the best values for general business/commerce. Set in the suburb of Bowie, Bowie State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,218, with out-of-state students paying around $19,938. Students borrow a median of $28,474 to complete the general business/commerce program here. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $47,668. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Mount St Marys University landed the #20 spot for general business/commerce value this year. Located in the rural area of Emmitsburg, Mount St Marys University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $48,630 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $21,500. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $46,859. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 25 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.