2027 Best Value Music Schools in Maryland

[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) 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 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value music schools.
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2027 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. Set in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,809, with out-of-state students paying around $41,186. Students borrow a median of $21,614 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $52,541. That is a strong return on a $21,614 median debt. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Maryland Baltimore County came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Located in the suburb of Baltimore, University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,256, while out-of-state students pay about $31,225. Typical student debt for music graduates is $29,000. Early-career music graduates make about $23,991. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Towson University, which ranked #3. Towson University is a very large public school located in the city of Towson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,728, compared with $29,820 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $19,102 in student loans. Early-career music graduates make about $19,618. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Johns Hopkins University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit university. 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. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.