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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music (With Aid)

548 Ranked Colleges
7,886 Degrees Awarded
$8,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Music is the 68th most popular major in the country with 11,573 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,886 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 548 colleges that offered a degree in general music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general music programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Music Schools

The general music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music (With Aid)

Top 10% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

UT Rio Grande Valley excels when it comes to general music quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at UT Rio Grande Valley

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 548 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill General Music Report

Out of the 548 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M International University landed the #3 spot on the list. Texas A&M International University is a public institution located in Laredo, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $3,074 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

Read more about General Music at Texas A&M International University

#4

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch College is $3,562 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Baruch General Music Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read full report on General Music at Cal State LA

#6

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Berea College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Berea is a small school located in Berea, Kentucky that handed out 7 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea is $5,184 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Berea College

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 full report on General Music at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#8

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Florida ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Music at University of Florida

#9

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Stanford University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Stanford

#10

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

Read more about General Music at Lehman College

The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $8,920 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

Read more about General Music at The University of Texas at El Paso

#12

The City College of New York

New York, New York

With a ranking of #12, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. The City College of New York is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 14 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

Read full report on General Music at CCNY

#8 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 26 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general music students with aid list, UT Austin has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UT Austin General Music Report

Top 20% in overall quality

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA excels when it comes to general music quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $13,853 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Read more about General Music at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#15

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, Elizabeth City State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Elizabeth City, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,350 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid per year to attend Elizabeth City State University.

Read full report on General Music at Elizabeth City State University

#16

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Truman State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Truman State is also in the top of our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $12,462 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about General Music at Truman State University

California State University - Northridge came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,414 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at CSUN

#18

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

Florida State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,789 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on General Music at Florida State

#19

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Whitewater is also in the top of our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Read more about General Music at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 34 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about General Music at Cal State Fullerton

California State University - Fresno came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Fresno State General Music Report

#22

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #22, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $2,683 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College General Music Report

#23

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
Top 10% in overall quality

University of Houston came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UH is also in the top of our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,838 for bachelor’s degree general music students with aid per year to attend University of Houston.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Houston General Music Report

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Madison is in the top on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

#25

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 12 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - La Crosse General Music Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#27

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#30

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#32

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#33

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#34

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#35

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#36

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#37

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas
#39

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#39

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#41

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#42

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#44

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#45

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#47

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#49

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Rank College Location
51 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
52 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
53 Texas A&M University - Commerce Commerce, TX
54 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, OK
55 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
56 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
57 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
58 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
59 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
60 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
61 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
62 Augusta University Augusta, GA
63 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
64 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
65 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
Rank College Location
66 SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY
67 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
67 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
69 Murray State University Murray, KY
70 The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX
71 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
72 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
73 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
74 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
75 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
76 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
77 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
78 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
79 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
80 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
81 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
82 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
82 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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