2026 Best Value Child development Schools in Maryland

[Child development](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/human-development-family-studies/child-development/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value child development schools.
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2026 Best Value Child development Schools in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in child development, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Child development Schools
Towson University earned the #1 spot for value among child development schools in Maryland. Located in the city of Towson, Towson University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,728, while out-of-state students pay about $29,820. Child Development graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, child development degree recipients from Towson University generally make around $50,370. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Bowie State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in child development, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Bowie, Bowie State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,218 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $19,938. Child Development graduates carry a median of $26,125 in student loans. Early-career child development graduates make about $34,257. That is a strong return on a $26,125 median debt. Bowie State University admits about 72% of applicants.
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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 · 2 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.