2026 Best Value Music Pedagogy Schools in Virginia

[Music Pedagogy](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-pedagogy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for music pedagogy students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Music Pedagogy Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music pedagogy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Music Pedagogy Schools
James Madison University earned the #1 spot for value among music pedagogy schools in Virginia. James Madison University is a very large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg. In-state tuition and fees average $13,966, while out-of-state students pay about $31,312. Typical student debt for music pedagogy graduates is $20,968. Soon after graduation, music pedagogy degree recipients from James Madison University generally make around $36,106. Set against $20,968 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Liberty University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value music pedagogy schools. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,173. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Early-career music pedagogy graduates make about $33,956. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Students looking for strong value in music pedagogy will find it at Shenandoah University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,950. Music Pedagogy graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Music Pedagogy graduates of Shenandoah University earn a median of $62,948 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
More Music Pedagogy Rankings
View All Music Pedagogy Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.