2027 Best Value General Music Schools in Pennsylvania

[General Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/general-music/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for general music students.
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2027 Best Value General Music Schools in Pennsylvania
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 Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania this year. Set in the town of Bloomsburg, Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,046 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,870. Students borrow a median of $27,128 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $31,429. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania admits about 93% of applicants.
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general music, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Indiana, Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,380, while out-of-state students pay about $16,297. General Music graduates carry a median of $27,956 in student loans. General Music graduates of Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus earn a median of $41,939 early in their careers. Set against $27,956 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus admits about 91% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general music will find it at West Chester University Of Pennsylvania, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of West Chester, West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,775, while out-of-state students pay about $22,599. Graduates go on to earn a median of $61,258 ten years after entry. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Millersville University Of Pennsylvania is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general music, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,128, compared with $22,952 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general music program here. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Millersville University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $26,895. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Millersville University Of Pennsylvania admits about 86% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania one of the best values for general music. Located in the town of Kutztown, Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,206, compared with $16,330 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $17,725. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Messiah College earned the #6 position for value in general music this year. Messiah College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. In-state tuition and fees average $42,240. Students borrow a median of $25,965 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Messiah College earn a median of $66,109 early in their careers. Set against $25,965 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 79%.
Temple University landed the #7 spot for general music value this year. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,005, while out-of-state students pay about $38,805. General Music graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. General Music graduates of Temple University earn a median of $20,667 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Muhlenberg College earned the #8 position for value in general music this year. Located in the city of Allentown, Muhlenberg College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $62,805. General Music graduates carry a median of $26,259 in student loans. Early-career general music graduates make about $35,641. That is a strong return on a $26,259 median debt. Muhlenberg College admits about 72% of applicants.
Gettysburg College earned the #9 position for value in general music this year. Gettysburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Gettysburg. In-state tuition and fees average $66,640. Students borrow a median of $26,309 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Gettysburg College earn a median of $27,556 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Gettysburg College admits about 39% of applicants.
Moravian College And Moravian Theological Seminary landed the #10 spot for general music value this year. Moravian College And Moravian Theological Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bethlehem. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,500. Students borrow a median of $26,857 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $48,472. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 54% of applicants are accepted.
Carnegie Mellon University earned the #11 position for value in general music this year. Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Students from in state pay about $65,636 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,431 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median of $23,278 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Carnegie Mellon University admits about 12% of applicants.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus earned the #12 position for value in general music this year. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of University Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,644, while out-of-state students pay about $41,790. Students borrow a median of $26,923 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Pennsylvania State University Main Campus earn a median of $18,462 early in their careers. Set against $26,923 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Duquesne University came in at #13 for value in general music this year. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $48,986. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $27,854. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.