
[General Visual & Performing Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/general-visual-performing-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value general visual & performing arts schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general visual & performing arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Montgomery College tops our 2027 list of the best value general visual & performing arts schools in Maryland. 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. General Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $11,230 in student loans. Early-career general visual & performing arts graduates make about $24,833. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general visual & performing arts will find it at The Community College Of Baltimore County, which ranked #2. The Community College Of Baltimore County is a very large public school located in the suburb of Baltimore. In-state tuition and fees average $4,110, while out-of-state students pay about $10,182. General Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $18,038 in student loans. Early-career general visual & performing arts graduates make about $52,440. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at St Marys College Of Maryland earned it the #3 place for general visual & performing arts. Located in the rural area of St. Mary's City, St Marys College Of Maryland is a small public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,298, while out-of-state students pay about $31,374. Students borrow a median of $22,655 to complete the general visual & performing arts program here. Soon after graduation, general visual & performing arts degree recipients from St Marys College Of Maryland generally make around $41,665. That is a strong return on a $22,655 median debt. St Marys College Of Maryland admits about 69% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.