2023 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
118
Ranked Colleges
5,336
Degrees Awarded
$7,300
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 5,336 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,836 and $24,882 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 118 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $371 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Duke Music Report
Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 44 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Music at Vanderbilt
Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 62 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $65 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Music at University of Florida
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 171 students in 2020-2021.
Florida State also made our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Florida State Music Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $3,753 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music at UNC Chapel Hill
Emory University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Emory not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $8,538 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Emory Music Report
University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UNCSA is $5,766 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 undergrad 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 University of North Carolina School of the Arts
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 71 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,303 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UGA Music Report
Valencia College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Valencia College is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Valencia College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $4,942 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Valencia College Music Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 46 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also took the #9 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Music Report
With a ranking of #11, Converse College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Converse is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It awarded 9 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Converse College is $20,672 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Converse Music Report
University of Central Florida landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $4,468 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at UCF
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 34 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read more about Music at University of South Florida - Main Campus
University of North Florida landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 52 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Florida is $4,367 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at University of North Florida
University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 105 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofSC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $12,130 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Music at UofSC
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school handed out 80 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
Louisiana State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University is $11,318 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Louisiana State University
Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,196 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full FIU Music Report
Northern Kentucky University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $4,632 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.
Read more about Music at NKU
University of Kentucky ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 60 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $12,593 for southeast region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read more about Music at University of Kentucky
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville also made our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at UT Knoxville
With a ranking of #21, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,934 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at Virginia Tech
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Middle Tennessee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,763 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.
Read full report on Music at Middle Tennessee State University
University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 86 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UNC Greensboro is $7,645 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Music at UNC Greensboro
The University of West Florida ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of West Florida is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $4,288 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Music at UWF
With a ranking of #25, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 68 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,014 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University.
Read full report on Music at West Virginia University
