2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Music Performance is the 103rd most popular major in the country with 7,957 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,269 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 116 colleges that offer a degree in music performance. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music performance programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 66 degrees to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425.
Read more about Music Performance at Johns Hopkins University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 14 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Music Performance at California State University - Los Angeles
Brooklyn College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 9 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 188 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Music Performance at Indiana University - Bloomington
Florida State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 masters’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNCSA are $26,064.
Queens College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 15 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at QC are $21,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056.
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 20 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Music Performance at California State University - Fullerton
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Texas landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Music Performance at University of North Texas
University of North Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Florida are $21,930.
Read full report on Music Performance at University of North Florida
California State University - Northridge ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Northridge Music Performance Report
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
BYU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at BYU are $7,510, but some majors have different tuition rates.
San Diego State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Boston University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 50 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston U also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston U are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 10 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Appalachian State University are $21,439, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Music Performance at Appalachian State University
University of Northern Iowa landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 9 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNI has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Northern Iowa are $22,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Music Performance at University of Northern Iowa
Oberlin College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Oberlin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Oberlin also made our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oberlin College are $29,105, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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Music Performance students with family income $75-$110k
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.
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