[Music Performance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-performance/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music performance education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value music performance schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music performance, balancing cost against outcomes.
Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne tops our 2026 list of the best value music performance schools in Indiana. Located in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,532, compared with $22,887 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music performance graduates is $24,119. Soon after graduation, music performance degree recipients from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne generally make around $49,424. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Indiana University Bloomington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in music performance, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,144, compared with $41,891 for out-of-state students. Music Performance graduates carry a median of $20,769 in student loans. Early-career music performance graduates make about $28,328. That is a strong return on a $20,769 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Ball State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in music performance, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,082, while out-of-state students pay about $29,630. Students borrow a median of $24,518 to complete the music performance program here. Music Performance graduates of Ball State University earn a median of $47,863 early in their careers. Set against $24,518 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depauw University earned it the #4 place for music performance. Located in the town of Greencastle, Depauw University is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $59,070. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the music performance program here. Soon after graduation, music performance degree recipients from Depauw University generally make around $46,127. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Butler University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in music performance, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Butler University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $47,560. Typical student debt for music performance graduates is $24,170. Early-career music performance graduates make about $68,222. That is a strong return on a $24,170 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
More Music Performance Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 16 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.
