2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Music is the 40th most popular major in the country with 27,047 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,639 and had an average of $28,653 in loans still to pay off.
Across Massachusetts, there were 1,743 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,450 and $31,150 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,118 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music 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 program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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The music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $2,498 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Harvard also took the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $2,973 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $5,267 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #4 spot on the list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
Boston College also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $6,353 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wellesley College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wellesley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $8,785 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wellesley College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Northeastern University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $10,239 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Amherst also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $13,137 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
College of the Holy Cross ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Holy Cross not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $15,036 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Holy Cross.
The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 89%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Smith College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Smith College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Smith has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $6,075 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Smith College.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Boston University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
Boston U also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $12,903 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Brandeis University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brandeis University is $13,567 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
With a ranking of #12, University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a fairly large public school situated in Lowell, Massachusetts. It awarded 54 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Lowell, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $11,560 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Mount Holyoke College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mount Holyoke College is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Mt. Holyoke also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $12,063 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Westfield State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Westfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Westfield also took the #17 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westfield is $12,672 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music 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%.
Bridgewater State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bridgewater State University is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bridgewater State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,332 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bridgewater State University.
Salem State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
Salem State also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Salem State is $14,593 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Dartmouth is a medium-sized public school situated in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Dartmouth has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,925 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.
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Wheaton College Massachusetts ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Norton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Massachusetts also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Clark University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Clark not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Clark is $22,734 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $13,859 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Wenham, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
Gordon College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $22,732 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gordon College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Berklee College of Music landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 657 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Berklee College of Music has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Berklee College of Music is $45,231 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Emerson College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Emerson is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 1 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Emerson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $39,241 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emerson.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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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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