2027 Best Value General Music Schools in New York
[General Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/general-music/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general music education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for general music students.
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2027 Best Value General Music Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general music, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Music Schools
For return on investment in general music, no school beat Cuny Brooklyn College this year. Cuny Brooklyn College is a large public school located in the city of Brooklyn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,452, while out-of-state students pay about $15,402. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $13,303. Early-career general music graduates make about $16,996. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Cuny City College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general music, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of New York, Cuny City College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,340 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,290. General Music graduates carry a median of $20,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Cuny City College generally make around $19,145. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suffolk County Community College earned it the #3 place for general music. Set in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,630, with out-of-state students paying around $12,460. Students borrow a median of $11,246 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $35,667. Set against $11,246 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value general music schools. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,170, with out-of-state students paying around $8,050. Students borrow a median of $8,794 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Cuny Borough Of Manhattan Community College earn a median of $30,111 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny College At Oswego earned it the #5 place for general music. Suny College At Oswego is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Oswego. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,825, while out-of-state students pay about $18,735. Students borrow a median of $25,163 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $41,899. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Schenectady County Community College came in at #6 for value in general music this year. Located in the city of Schenectady, Schenectady County Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,190, with out-of-state students paying around $8,974. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $40,902.
Suny College At Potsdam landed the #7 spot for general music value this year. Located in the town of Potsdam, Suny College At Potsdam is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,768, while out-of-state students pay about $18,678. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $27,000. Early-career general music graduates make about $23,902. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Stony Brook University placed #8 among the best values for general music. Stony Brook University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,931, while out-of-state students pay about $32,741. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $20,537. Early-career general music graduates make about $34,264. Set against $20,537 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Stony Brook University admits about 49% of applicants.
State University Of New York At New Paltz came in at #9 for value in general music this year. Set in the town of New Paltz, State University Of New York At New Paltz is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,572 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,822 for out-of-state students. General Music graduates carry a median of $21,530 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from State University Of New York At New Paltz generally make around $17,406. That is a strong return on a $21,530 median debt. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Purchase College landed the #10 spot for general music value this year. Set in the suburb of Purchase, Suny At Purchase College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,016, with out-of-state students paying around $19,266. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $22,179. Early-career general music graduates make about $22,569. That is a strong return on a $22,179 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Houghton College ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value general music schools. Set in the rural area of Houghton, Houghton College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,430. Students borrow a median of $24,725 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Houghton College earn a median of $26,934 early in their careers. Set against $24,725 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia University In The City Of New York landed the #12 spot for general music value this year. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $23,258. General Music graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of $32,924 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.
University Of Rochester came in at #13 for value in general music this year. University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rochester. In-state tuition and fees average $67,080. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $26,769. General Music graduates of University Of Rochester earn a median of $27,409 early in their careers. Set against $26,769 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 40%.
Nazareth College earned the #14 position for value in general music this year. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Nazareth College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $42,210. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $26,185. Early-career general music graduates make about $44,626. That is a strong return on a $26,185 median debt. Nazareth College admits about 75% of applicants.
Ithaca College landed the #15 spot for general music value this year. Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. In-state tuition and fees average $52,616. General Music graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General Music graduates of Ithaca College earn a median of $23,119 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
New York University came in at #16 for value in general music this year. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. General Music graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career general music graduates make about $28,287. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Syracuse University placed #17 among the best values for general music. Set in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,528. Students borrow a median of $26,130 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Syracuse University earn a median of $18,574 early in their careers. Set against $26,130 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 46%.
More General Music Rankings
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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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 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.
