2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland
24
Ranked Colleges
10,097
Degrees Awarded
$12,400
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 556,813 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across Maryland, there were 10,097 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,818 and $15,099 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts general studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland
The colleges and universities below are the best for maryland liberal arts students.
Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in Maryland
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland Global Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland. UMGC is a large public school situated in Adelphi, Maryland. It awarded 2,567 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UMGC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. It costs about $15,395 for maryland liberal arts students per year to attend UMGC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UMGC Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chesapeake College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland. Chesapeake College is a small public school situated in Wye Mills, Maryland. It awarded 128 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our maryland liberal arts students list, Chesapeake College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. It costs about $4,118 for maryland liberal arts students per year to attend Chesapeake College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Chesapeake College
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland that were part of this year’s ranking, Frederick Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Frederick, Maryland is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 297 students in 2020-2021.
Frederick Community College also took the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Frederick Community College is $4,879 for maryland liberal arts students.
Full Frederick Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Montgomery College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. This fairly large school is located in Rockville, Maryland, and it awarded 1,213 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Montgomery College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list. It costs about $8,073 for maryland liberal arts students per year to attend Montgomery College.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Montgomery College
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland that were part of this year’s ranking, Community College of Baltimore County landed the #5 spot on the list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 854 students in 2020-2021.
CCBC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Community College of Baltimore County is $7,890 for maryland liberal arts students.
Full CCBC Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Anne Arundel Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. Arnold, Maryland is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 771 students in 2020-2021.
AACC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Anne Arundel Community College is $15,707 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
Full AACC Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Baltimore City Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #7. Baltimore City Community College is a small public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 111 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Baltimore City Community College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. It costs about $6,403 for Maryland Liberal Arts students per year to attend Baltimore City Community College.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Baltimore City Community College
Howard Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. Howard Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Columbia, Maryland. It awarded 784 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
HCC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Howard Community College is $10,329 for maryland liberal arts students.
Full Howard Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Hagerstown Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. Hagerstown Community College is located in Hagerstown, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 279 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
HCC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hagerstown Community College is $8,669 for maryland liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at HCC
Prince George’s Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #10. PGCC is a fairly large school located in Largo, Maryland that handed out 639 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
PGCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list. The estimated yearly cost for PGCC is $11,199 for maryland liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at PGCC
College of Southern Maryland landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. Located in La Plata, Maryland, this medium-sized public school handed out 1,004 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
CSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list. The yearly cost to attend College of Southern Maryland is $6,873 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at CSM
Harford Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. Bel Air, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 358 students in 2020-2021.
Harford Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list. The yearly cost to attend Harford Community College is $7,697 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
Full Harford Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Salisbury University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #13. Salisbury University is a public institution located in Salisbury, Maryland. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Salisbury also took the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Salisbury University is $18,402 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Salisbury University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Allegany College of Maryland ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. Located in Cumberland, Maryland, this small public school awarded 139 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Allegany College of Maryland also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Allegany College of Maryland is $10,673 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
Full Allegany College of Maryland Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Carroll Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. This small school is located in Westminster, Maryland, and it awarded 279 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our maryland liberal arts students list, Carroll Community College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carroll Community College is $4,145 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
Full Carroll Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Cecil College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. Located in North East, Maryland, this small public school handed out 67 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cecil College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. It costs about $8,817 for maryland liberal arts students per year to attend Cecil College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Cecil College
With a ranking of #17, Morgan State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. Morgan State is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Morgan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list. It costs about $17,351 for maryland liberal arts students per year to attend Morgan State.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Morgan State
Frostburg State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Frostburg, Maryland, this small public school handed out 64 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Frostburg State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Frostburg State University is $15,748 for maryland liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Frostburg State
With a ranking of #19, Wor-Wic Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland list. Wor-Wic Community College is located in Salisbury, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our maryland liberal arts students list, Wor-Wic Community College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wor-Wic Community College is $8,520 for maryland liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wor-Wic Community College
Garrett College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. McHenry, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
Garrett Community College also took the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Garrett Community College is $7,628 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
Full Garrett Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
St John’s College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Annapolis, Maryland, and it awarded 101 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
St. John’s Annapolis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. John’s Annapolis is $27,993 for maryland liberal arts students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full St John’s College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Notre Dame of Maryland University landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. NDMU is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NDMU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. It costs about $19,990 for Maryland Liberal Arts students per year to attend Notre Dame of Maryland University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full NDMU Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Washington College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #23. Washington College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chestertown, Maryland. It awarded 16 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Washington College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington College is $27,088 for maryland liberal arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Washington College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maryland ranking, coming in at #24. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Maryland” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $23,428 for Maryland Liberal Arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Johns Hopkins Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
college factual
