2023 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k)
491
Ranked Colleges
25,910
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Music is the 43rd most popular major in the country with 25,910 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 491 colleges that offered a degree 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 For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
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. 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 Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 141 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Yale also made our “Best Music Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $2,815 for music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Yale University.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read more about Music at Yale University
Out of the 491 schools in the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 156 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Music Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $5,849 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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.
Full Northwestern University Music Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 13 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,160 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke University.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Music at Duke University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 87 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $6,152 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Rice
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #17 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,106 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Music at Columbia
Vanderbilt University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Schools” list. It costs about $7,694 for music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Music at Vanderbilt
Johns Hopkins University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 176 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Music Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $8,457 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music at Johns Hopkins
With a ranking of #8, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 199 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full U-M Music Report
Dartmouth College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 8 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $12,172 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at Dartmouth
With a ranking of #10, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.
UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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.
Read more about Music at UF
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $8,393 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Music Report
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,452 for music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
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%.
Read more about Music at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #13, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 171 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. It costs about $11,506 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 Florida State University
Washington University in St Louis landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 15 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, WUSTL also did well on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $8,149 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music at Washington University in St Louis
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 374 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,369 for music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Music Report
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 114 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 UCLA
Brown University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brown is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 32 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Brown is in the top on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $10,219 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 92%. The undergraduate 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.
Read more about Music at Brown University
Valencia College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
It costs about $7,781 for music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Valencia College.
Read full report on Music at Valencia College
With a ranking of #19, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 66 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $7,219 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Music at Brooklyn College
With a ranking of #20, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 54 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley excels when it comes to music quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Berkeley Music Report
With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $10,364 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $11,619 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Read full report on Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UIUC also did well on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at UIUC
University of Notre Dame came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 21 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $14,020 for music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Music at University of Notre Dame
Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU is also in the top of our “Best Music Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $12,676 for Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at BYU
