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

16 Ranked Colleges
528 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Virginia, there were 675 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,700 and $28,099 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 528 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 16 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

#1

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #1 spot on the list. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $4,711 for Virginia 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 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at William & Mary

#2

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $8,882 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#3

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $11,138 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Virginia Tech

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. JMU is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 77 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $14,196 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at JMU

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this large public school handed out 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, GMU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,204 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GMU.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full GMU Music Report

#6

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Radford is a fairly large school located in Radford, Virginia that handed out 25 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Radford also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Radford University is $12,071 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at Radford

#7

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Old Dominion University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Old Dominion is located in Norfolk, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Old Dominion has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Old Dominion.

Full Old Dominion Music Report

Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

VCU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $16,768 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Music Report

#9

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Christopher Newport University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. CNU is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, CNU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,529 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Christopher Newport University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CNU Music Report

#10

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

University of Mary Washington ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

UMW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $12,988 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMW.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 full report on Music at UMW

#11

Hollins University

Roanoke, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Hollins University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Roanoke, Virginia, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Hollins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Hollins is $15,824 for Virginia 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Hollins

#12

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Bridgewater, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $14,220 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Bridgewater College

#13

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia State is located in Petersburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Virginia State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,586 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia State.

Read more about Music at Virginia State

#14

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Mary Baldwin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Staunton, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Mary Baldwin also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $15,218 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mary Baldwin.

Read full report on Music at Mary Baldwin University

#15

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winchester, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Shenandoah did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Shenandoah is $25,591 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%.

Full Shenandoah Music Report

#16

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

Liberty University also took the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $27,896 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at Liberty University

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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