Maryland parents may or may not be shocked to learn that childcare in their state is more expensive than in-state tuition to a four-year public college. 

At this point, most people are aware that childcare costs in this country are astronomical. What some people may not realize is that it now exceeds the cost of in-state college tuition. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) released its updated childcare fact sheets last week, and the results were interesting, to say the least. 

"The report looked at the average cost of care for an infant and a 4-year-old and how childcare fits into a family’s budget," according to WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore. "The average annual cost of infant care in Maryland is $15,335. That’s $1,278 per month," while " Childcare for a 4-year-old costs $10,254 or $855 each month."

Personally, I know families in the Baltimore metropolitan area that pay even more per month. Figures such as $1,500 to $2,000 (per month) are not unheard of. A lot of families have to make a tough call regarding childcare, and whether it's even worth it for both parents to go back to work. 

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EPI recommends that families cap their childcare expenses at 7 percent of their income. According to their website, the median annual income for a Maryland family is $87,119. That means the average family paying for one infant in daycare would be spending 17.6 percent of their income – more than twice the recommended amount. If that same family has two children under the age of 5 in childcare, they're spending $25,589 annually, or 29.4 percent of their income.

Unfortunately, Maryland is not even No. 1 on the list. That honor goes to Washington, D.C., where the average cost of infant care is $24,243 per year. Maryland ranks No. 7 behind D.C., Massachusetts, California, Minnesota, Connecticut, and New York, respectively. 

How do you feel about these exorbitant childcare costs? Are they worth it? Let us know in the comments.