2026 Best Value Humanities Schools in Maryland

[Humanities](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/humanities/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for humanities students.
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2026 Best Value Humanities Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in humanities, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Humanities Schools
Our analysis ranked Frederick Community College the best value for a degree in humanities in Maryland. 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. Humanities graduates carry a median of $8,935 in student loans. Soon after graduation, humanities degree recipients from Frederick Community College generally make around $43,733. That is a strong return on a $8,935 median debt.
University Of Maryland University College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value humanities schools. University Of Maryland University College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Adelphi. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,136, compared with $12,336 for out-of-state students. Humanities graduates carry a median of $14,375 in student loans. Humanities graduates of University Of Maryland University College earn a median of $65,890 early in their careers. Set against $14,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Towson University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in humanities, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Towson, Towson University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,728 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,820. Students borrow a median of $21,241 to complete the humanities program here. Soon after graduation, humanities degree recipients from Towson University generally make around $50,370. Set against $21,241 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johns Hopkins University earned it the #4 place for humanities. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,730. Typical student debt for humanities graduates is $13,426. Early-career humanities graduates make about $84,850. Set against $13,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.