2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine & studio arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
For return on investment in fine & studio arts, no school beat Montgomery College this year. Montgomery College is a very large public school located in the city of Rockville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,394, with out-of-state students paying around $14,250. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $11,230 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Montgomery College earn a median of $24,833 early in their careers. Set against $11,230 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Maryland College Park one of the best values for fine & studio arts. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. In-state tuition and fees average $11,809, with out-of-state students paying around $41,186. Students borrow a median of $20,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $32,031. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Cecil College one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the rural area of North East, Cecil College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,640, with out-of-state students paying around $10,830. Median earnings reach $43,952 ten years out.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at Frostburg State University, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Frostburg, Frostburg State University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,220, with out-of-state students paying around $25,814. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $24,834. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $24,649. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Frostburg State University admits about 89% of applicants.
Salisbury University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Salisbury, Salisbury University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,084, while out-of-state students pay about $22,174. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $24,239. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Salisbury University generally make around $20,632. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Towson University landed the #6 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Towson University is a very large public school located in the city of Towson. 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 $17,978 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Towson University earn a median of $29,958 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,978 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Maryland Baltimore County placed #7 among the best values for fine & studio arts. University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a large public school located in the suburb of Baltimore. Students from in state pay about $13,256 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,225 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $24,625. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $23,879. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
St Marys College Of Maryland earned the #8 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the rural area of St. Mary's City, St Marys College Of Maryland is a small public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,298, compared with $31,374 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $22,655 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of St Marys College Of Maryland earn a median of $41,665 early in their careers. Set against $22,655 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Mcdaniel College came in at #9 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the town of Westminster, Mcdaniel College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $52,081. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $23,247. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Mcdaniel College generally make around $54,904. Set against $23,247 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Maryland Institute College Of Art landed the #10 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Maryland Institute College Of Art is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,800. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Maryland Institute College Of Art generally make around $25,693. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Maryland Institute College Of Art admits about 77% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 22 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.