2026 Best Value Keyboard Instruments Schools in New York

[Keyboard Instruments](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/keyboard-instruments/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for keyboard instruments students.
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2026 Best Value Keyboard Instruments Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the keyboard instruments degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Keyboard Instruments Schools
For return on investment in keyboard instruments, no school beat University Of Rochester this year. Set in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,080. Keyboard Instruments graduates carry a median of $26,769 in student loans. Soon after graduation, keyboard instruments degree recipients from University Of Rochester generally make around $27,409. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Rochester admits about 40% of applicants.
The Juilliard School is a great value for students pursuing a degree in keyboard instruments, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of New York, The Juilliard School is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $57,950. Typical student debt for keyboard instruments graduates is $25,000. Early-career keyboard instruments graduates make about $14,101. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Syracuse University earned it the #3 place for keyboard instruments. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,528. Students borrow a median of $26,130 to complete the keyboard instruments program here. Keyboard Instruments graduates of Syracuse University earn a median of $54,785 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,130 median debt. The acceptance rate is 46%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Manhattan School Of Music earned it the #4 place for keyboard instruments. Set in the city of New York, Manhattan School Of Music is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $57,050. Keyboard Instruments graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, keyboard instruments degree recipients from Manhattan School Of Music generally make around $18,441. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The New School earned it the #5 place for keyboard instruments. The New School is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,730. Keyboard Instruments graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Early-career keyboard instruments graduates make about $15,510. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 6 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.