COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · TOWSON, MD

Is Towson University worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A Towson University degree clears +$1.16M in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Towson, Maryland, priced as a Maryland resident — earnings rolled up from 45 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

Towson University · Towson, MD

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$1.16M
30-year net value · non-resident
+$581K
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$57,560
Breaks even by age
52
Annual tuition · Maryland resident
$11,306
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$28,326
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$107,800
Total cost of attendance · out-of-state
$175,880
FREOPP program coverage
45 programs

The out-of-state tax in Maryland, ranked

How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Towson University runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Maryland’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 45 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is Towson University worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: Towson University clears +$1.16M in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $107,800 and median earnings of $57,560 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at Towson University?
Towson University's annual sticker tuition is $11,306 for Maryland residents and $28,326 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $107,800 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of Towson University?
Over 4 years, Towson University's sticker cost of attendance is $107,800 at resident pricing, or $175,880 out-of-state — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Maryland prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $57,560.
What is out-of-state tuition at Towson University?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at Towson University is $28,326, versus $11,306 for Maryland residents — a premium of $17,020 a year. Even at the non-resident rate, Towson University clears positive 30-year net value.
How long until a Towson University degree pays for itself?
The degree path overtakes the skip-college path around age 52 under our defaults — from there the gap only widens, ending +$1.16M ahead at the 30-year horizon.
What could change the number for Towson University?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices Towson University as a Maryland resident; at non-resident tuition it still clears +$581K, but the gap is real money (see the out-of-state tax in Maryland). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is Towson University worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/towson-university