231
Ranked Colleges
7,335
Degrees Awarded
$5,600
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,335 people earned their degree in music performance, making the major the 116th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 231 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music performance. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music performance programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music performance program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 57 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Music Performance Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Northwestern University Music Performance Report
Out of the 231 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $961 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Music Performance at Yale
Out of the 231 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
U-M also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Performance at U-M
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at Johns Hopkins University
Out of the 231 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 98 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Music Performance Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan State Music Performance Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 45 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Performance at University of Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 277 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Music Performance at UIUC
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Music Performance Report
With a ranking of #10, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 93 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.
Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Music Performance Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Music Performance Schools” list. It costs about $4,950 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Florida State Music Performance Report
Oberlin College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 67 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,756 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Performance at Oberlin College
Brooklyn College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 23 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brooklyn College Music Performance Report
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 27 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Performance Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Music Performance Report
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,191 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Music Performance at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 5 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at UW Seattle
Hunter College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 30 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $396 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at Hunter College
University of Georgia ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UGA is in the top on our “Best Music Performance Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $8,303 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full UGA Music Performance Report
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 24 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UMCP is in the top on our “Best Music Performance Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,067 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMCP.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at University of Maryland - College Park
University of North Carolina School of the Arts ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 38 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UNCSA is $5,766 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Music Performance at UNCSA
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 59 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,456 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Music Performance at Carnegie Mellon University
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $13,753 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at The University of Texas at Austin
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 47 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Music Performance at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 50 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State Fullerton Music Performance Report
Queens College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend QC is $1,344 for Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at QC
With a ranking of #25, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Performance Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Performance at University of Southern California
