2026 Best Value Music Schools in Maryland

[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music students.
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2026 Best Value Music Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Schools
For return on investment in music, no school beat University Of Maryland College Park this year. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,809, while out-of-state students pay about $41,186. Students borrow a median of $21,614 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park generally make around $52,541. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Maryland College Park admits about 45% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Salisbury University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Salisbury, Salisbury University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,084, with out-of-state students paying around $22,174. Students borrow a median of $23,545 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Salisbury University generally make around $45,476. That is a strong return on a $23,545 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Towson University one of the best values for music. 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, with out-of-state students paying around $29,820. Students borrow a median of $19,102 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $19,618. That is a strong return on a $19,102 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johns Hopkins University earned it the #4 place for music. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $64,730. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University generally make around $23,620. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 6%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Maryland Baltimore County earned it the #5 place for music. Located in the suburb of Baltimore, University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a large public university. 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 music graduates is $29,000. Music graduates of University Of Maryland Baltimore County earn a median of $23,991 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.