2026 Best Value Geography Schools in Maryland

[Geography](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/geography/) 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 8 schools to find the best return on investment for geography students.
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2026 Best Value Geography Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in geography, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Geography Schools
Salisbury University earned the #1 spot for value among geography schools in Maryland. Located in the suburb of Salisbury, Salisbury University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,084, while out-of-state students pay about $22,174. Typical student debt for geography graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, geography degree recipients from Salisbury University generally make around $25,255. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Salisbury University admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Towson University earned it the #2 place for geography. Set in the city of Towson, Towson University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,728, while out-of-state students pay about $29,820. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the geography program here. Early-career geography graduates make about $50,370. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in geography will find it at Johns Hopkins University, which ranked #3. 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 geography graduates is $13,426. Early-career geography graduates make about $84,850. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Maryland Baltimore County earned it the #4 place for geography. University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a large public school located in the suburb of Baltimore. In-state tuition and fees average $13,256, compared with $31,225 for out-of-state students. Geography graduates carry a median of $21,331 in student loans. Soon after graduation, geography degree recipients from University Of Maryland Baltimore County generally make around $49,179. That is a strong return on a $21,331 median debt. University Of Maryland Baltimore County admits about 72% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.