[Music Performance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-performance/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music performance students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music performance degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is University Of Wisconsin Madison, our #1 best value for music performance in Wisconsin. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Students borrow a median of $21,813 to complete the music performance program here. Early-career music performance graduates make about $31,552. Set against $21,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Madison admits about 45% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music performance will find it at Lawrence University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Appleton, Lawrence University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $56,982. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the music performance program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $55,789. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Carthage College earned it the #3 place for music performance. Carthage College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kenosha. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,750. Typical student debt for music performance graduates is $27,000. Early-career music performance graduates make about $41,923. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Carthage College admits about 87% of applicants.
More Music Performance Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
