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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
551 Degrees Awarded
$13,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 27,047 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 40th most popular in the United States. 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 Tennessee, there were 745 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,471 and $26,504 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 551 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,156 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Music at Vanderbilt University

#2

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Middle Tennessee State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k. Middle Tennessee State University is a large public school situated in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It awarded 98 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Music Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 34 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,224 for tennessee 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UT Knoxville Music Report

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Martin landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Martin, Tennessee, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Martin also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $7,524 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Martin.

Full The University of Tennessee - Martin Music Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a fairly large public school situated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It awarded 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Chattanooga has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Chattanooga is $8,108 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UT Chattanooga Music Report

#6

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee

Tennessee Technological University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cookeville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Tennessee Tech University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee Technological University is $11,641 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read more about Music at Tennessee Technological University

#7

Rhodes College

Memphis, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

Rhodes College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rhodes College has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rhodes College is $16,870 for tennessee 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Rhodes College

#8

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Trevecca Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, TNU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $15,228 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trevecca Nazarene University.

Read more about Music at TNU

#9

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ETSU is a fairly large school located in Johnson City, Tennessee that handed out 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $10,632 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full ETSU Music Report

#10

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Memphis is a large public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 38 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UofM also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $10,256 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UofM.

Read more about Music at UofM

#11

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin Peay State University is a fairly large public school situated in Clarksville, Tennessee. It awarded 19 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Peay State University also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $10,909 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Austin Peay State University

#12

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality

Freed-Hardeman University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FHU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Henderson, Tennessee. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

FHU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $13,512 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FHU.

Full Freed-Hardeman University Music Report

#13

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee

Lee University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Lee University is located in Cleveland, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Lee University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Lee University is $13,841 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lee University Music Report

#14

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tennessee State University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee State University is $11,015 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at Tennessee State University

#15

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

Belmont University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Belmont, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $25,980 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Belmont.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Belmont

#16

Milligan University

Milligan College, Tennessee
#18 in overall quality

Milligan University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Milligan College, Tennessee, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Milligan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $14,089 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Milligan.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Music at Milligan University

#17

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality

Lipscomb University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lipscomb has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $20,036 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lipscomb University.

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 freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Lipscomb Music Report

#18

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee
#19 in overall quality

Southern Adventist University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Adventist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegedale, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Southern Adventist also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Adventist University is $19,346 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Adventist Music Report

#19

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee

Union University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Union University is a small school located in Jackson, Tennessee that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Union not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $26,079 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Union.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Union University Music Report

#20

Visible Music College

Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #20, Visible Music College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Visible Music College is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Visible Music College also took the #20 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $21,073 for tennessee bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Visible Music College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at Visible Music College

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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