2026 Best Value Art History Schools in Maryland
[Art History](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong art history education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for art history students.
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2026 Best Value Art History Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in art history, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Art History Schools
University Of Maryland College Park tops our 2026 list of the best value art history schools in Maryland. Set in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,809, while out-of-state students pay about $41,186. Art History graduates carry a median of $20,000 in student loans. Art History graduates of University Of Maryland College Park earn a median of $32,031 early in their careers. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Maryland College Park admits about 45% of applicants.
Towson University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in art history, landing the #2 spot this year. Towson University is a very large public school located in the city of Towson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,728, while out-of-state students pay about $29,820. Art History graduates carry a median of $17,978 in student loans. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from Towson University generally make around $29,958. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Towson University admits about 82% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at St Marys College Of Maryland earned it the #3 place for art history. Located in the rural area of St. Mary's City, St Marys College Of Maryland is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,298, while out-of-state students pay about $31,374. Students borrow a median of $22,655 to complete the art history program here. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from St Marys College Of Maryland generally make around $41,665. Set against $22,655 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. St Marys College Of Maryland admits about 69% of applicants.
Maryland Institute College Of Art is a great value for students pursuing a degree in art history, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Baltimore, Maryland Institute College Of Art is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,800. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $27,000. Early-career art history graduates make about $37,067. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Maryland Institute College Of Art admits about 77% of applicants.
More Art History Rankings
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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 · 7 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.
