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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Music (Income $30-$48k)

427 Ranked Colleges
11,232 Degrees Awarded
$5,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 11,232 people earned their degree in general music, making the major the 73rd most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 427 colleges that offered a degree in general music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general music programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general music program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Music Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More General Music Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Music (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s general music degrees to qualified students.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $-927 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Duke

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $917 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern General Music Report

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s general music degrees to qualified students.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $3,083 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Yale University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Yale General Music Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best General Music Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Read more about General Music at U-M

5

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general music degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best General Music Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $4,699 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Columbia University in the City of New York

6
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $4,652 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on General Music at Vanderbilt

7
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #7, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 8 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $8,718 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Dartmouth

8
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #8, Williams College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Williams also did well on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $5,480 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Williams College General Music Report

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general music degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,857 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about General Music at UF

10
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 3 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Music at IU Bloomington

11
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #11, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 15 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general music students whose families make $30-$48k list, WUSTL has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at WUSTL

12

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 24 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General Music Schools” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison General Music Report

13
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brown University is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 26 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $2,842 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on General Music at Brown

14
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #14, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn excels when it comes to general music quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $1,938 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UPenn.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Music at UPenn

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 53 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Florida State

16
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general music degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Wellesley is in the top on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $8,021 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wellesley.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wellesley General Music Report

17

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 46 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley General Music Report

18

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s general music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

19

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 28 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill General Music Report

20
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #20, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Emory University is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 22 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $8,976 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Emory

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 102 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,036 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Music at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

22

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 55 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at UCLA

23
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Tufts also did well on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,987 for General Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts University.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Music at Tufts

24

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general music degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at University of California - Berkeley

25
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $3,105 for general music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read more about General Music at Brooklyn College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
28
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The City College of New York
New York, New York
29
30
31
32
33
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
34
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
35
36
37
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
38
39
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
40
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
41
42
43
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri
44
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas
45
46
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
47
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
48
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
52 University of Houston Houston, TX
53 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
54 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
55 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
56 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
57 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
58 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
59 University of Delaware Newark, DE
60 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
61 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
62 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
63 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
64 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
65 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
Rank College Location

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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