2027 Best Value General Music Schools in Iowa
[General Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/general-music/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for general music students.
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2027 Best Value General Music Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Music Schools
For return on investment in general music, no school beat University Of Northern Iowa this year. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,936, while out-of-state students pay about $21,712. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $32,175. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #2 place for general music. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. General Music graduates carry a median of $23,496 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $54,204. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general music will find it at University Of Iowa, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,783 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $41,656 early in their careers. Set against $27,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Luther College one of the best values for general music. Set in the town of Decorah, Luther College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,120. General Music graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career general music graduates make about $45,367. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 72% 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
