2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 7,957 people earned their degree in music performance, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,687 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,057 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 65 colleges that offer a degree in music performance. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music performance programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music performance program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 65 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 29 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Out of the 65 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #4 spot on the list. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNCSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $3,456 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about Music Performance at University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Out of the 65 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $3,950 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Performance at University of South Florida - Main Campus
University of Georgia ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UGA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,541 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Georgia.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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.
The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,140 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full The University of West Florida Music Performance Report
University of North Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 26 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $5,097 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $7,824 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Music Performance at Florida Gulf Coast University
Appalachian State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 17 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Appalachian State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $7,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
With a ranking of #11, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 25 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,853 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Greensboro.
Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Music Performance Report
McNeese State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. McNeese is a medium-sized school located in Lake Charles, Louisiana that handed out 16 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,892 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend McNeese State University.
James Madison University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 77 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
JMU also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $14,196 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Music Performance at James Madison University
Western Carolina University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Carolina University is a fairly large school located in Cullowhee, North Carolina that handed out 31 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $9,188 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Music Performance at Western Carolina University
University of Arkansas ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arkansas is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
UARK also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $12,094 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arkansas.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a large public school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 25 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Louisiana State University also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $8,433 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Music Performance at Louisiana State University
Augusta University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Augusta, Georgia, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
Augusta University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $8,352 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Southeastern Louisiana University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hammond, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
Southeastern also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Louisiana University is $10,360 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Shepherd University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $8,068 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #20, University of Louisiana at Lafayette did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UL Lafayette is a public institution located in Lafayette, Louisiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,621 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Full University of Louisiana at Lafayette Music Performance Report
University of North Georgia landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Georgia is a fairly large school located in Dahlonega, Georgia that handed out 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,650 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNG.
With a ranking of #22, Columbus State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus State University is a medium-sized school located in Columbus, Georgia that handed out 20 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,185 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbus State University.
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. UK is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,848 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UK.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is located in Wilmington, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $12,229 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. TNU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, TNU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,228 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TNU.
Read full report on Music Performance at Trevecca Nazarene University
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
All Degree Levels
Best Value Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Bachelors
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Doctorate
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Narrow Results by State
North Carolina
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in North Carolina
Alabama
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Alabama
Georgia
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Georgia
Louisiana
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Louisiana
South Carolina
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in South Carolina
Virginia
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia
West Virginia
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in West Virginia
Kentucky
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Kentucky
Tennessee
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee
Mississippi
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Mississippi
Florida
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Florida
Arkansas
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in Arkansas
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Music Theory & Composition
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Keyboard Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Keyboard Instruments (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Jazz Studies
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Jazz Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Music Pedagogy
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Pedagogy (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Brass Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Brass Instruments (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Percussion Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Percussion Instruments (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Music History
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music History (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Musicology & Ethnomusicology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Musicology & Ethnomusicology (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Voice Performance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Voice Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Stringed Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Stringed Instruments (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Music Technology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Technology (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Woodwind Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Woodwind Instruments (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Other Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Music Performance Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students in the Southeast Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students in the Southeast Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Music Performance Schools
Music Performance students in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students with family income less than $30k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students with family income $48-$75k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income Over $110k) in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students with family income exceeding $110k in the Southeast Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Music Performance Graduates in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students in the Southeast Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Music Performance students getting aid in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students with family income $30-$48k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region
Music Performance students with family income $75-$110k in the Southeast Region
Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Featured Performing Arts Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |