2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 1,098 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,733 and $26,798 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 688 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 26 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado College landed the #1 spot on the list. Colorado College is a small school located in Colorado Springs, Colorado that handed out 3 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Colorado College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colorado College is $8,812 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #2 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 37 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
BYU - I also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $3,595 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UW also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW is $9,200 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 68 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
BYU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $10,425 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #5 spot on the list. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
U of U also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $13,192 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.
CU Anschutz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is $12,503 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low 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%.
Read full report on Music at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
With a ranking of #7, University of Idaho did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U of I is a fairly large school located in Moscow, Idaho that handed out 14 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $11,735 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U of I.
Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a large school located in Fort Collins, Colorado that handed out 42 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Colorado State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State University - Fort Collins is $11,890 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 more about Music at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 49 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
CU - Boulder also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $14,361 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #10, Weber State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Weber State University is a large public school situated in Ogden, Utah. It awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $10,980 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Utah State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Logan, Utah, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, USU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,034 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USU.
University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Greeley, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.
University of Northern Colorado did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Colorado is $12,736 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Fort Lewis College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fort Lewis College is a public institution located in Durango, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
FLC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $12,909 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FLC.
Utah Valley University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UVU is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $8,047 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #15, Southern Utah University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cedar City, Utah is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Southern Utah University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $11,759 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Utah University.
The University of Montana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Missoula, Montana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
UM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Montana is $14,314 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Western Colorado University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western is a public institution located in Gunnison, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Colorado University is $14,744 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Colorado State University - Pueblo came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pueblo, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Pueblo, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo is $11,831 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Music at Colorado State University - Pueblo
With a ranking of #19, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. MSU Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
MSU Denver not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $12,219 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Denver.
Adams State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Alamosa, Colorado, this small public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Adams State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Adams State is $12,991 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Boise State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boise State is a large school located in Boise, Idaho that handed out 20 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Boise State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,146 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boise State University.
Colorado Mesa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Colorado Mesa is a public institution located in Grand Junction, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Colorado Mesa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa University is $13,624 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Montana State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Bozeman, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $16,625 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Bozeman.
With a ranking of #24, Dixie State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint George, Utah, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Dixie State College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dixie State University is $10,796 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #25, University of Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. DU is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DU is $20,735 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low 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%.
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Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
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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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