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2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

491 Ranked Colleges
25,910 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 491 colleges that offer a degree in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

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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 $75-$110k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k)

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 491 schools in the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. 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 took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $10,008 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Yale Music Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 491 schools in the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 156 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $15,686 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Northwestern University

3
Vanderbilt crest
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 #3 for the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 44 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Schools” list. It costs about $15,636 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Vanderbilt Music Report

4
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Out of the 491 schools in the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #4 spot on the list. Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

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 is $16,661 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.

Read full report on Music at Dartmouth

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. 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 it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,874 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read more about Music at UF

6
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 113 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Valencia College is $8,487 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Valencia College Music Report

7
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 13 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Duke has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $18,113 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Duke

8
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 66 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $10,311 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Music at Brooklyn College

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 199 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our music students whose families make $75-$110k list, U-M has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,207 for music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 more about Music at U-M

10
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #10, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 171 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $15,203 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Florida State Music Report

11

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $11,268 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Read more about Music at UT Rio Grande Valley

12
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 176 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $18,951 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Johns Hopkins Music Report

13

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $15,777 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at BYU

14

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Schools” list. It costs about $16,916 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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. 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%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Music Report

15
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,436 for music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Hunter.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Hunter

16
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 65 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $9,771 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at QC

17

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 114 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $20,697 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Music Report

18
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 374 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $20,234 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Music Report

19
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Truman State University is a small school located in Kirksville, Missouri that handed out 30 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $14,302 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Truman State University

20
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,109 for music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The City College of New York.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 more about Music at The City College of New York

21

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 57 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at California State University - Los Angeles

22

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to music quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $16,894 for Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Music Report

23

California State University - Fullerton landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 89 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $12,977 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Music Report

24
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

With a ranking of #24, El Centro College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. El Centro College is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,848 for music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend El Centro College.

Read more about Music at El Centro College

25
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #25, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 11 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $9,585 for music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Music at Lehman College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
28
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
29
30
31
32
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
33
34
35
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
36
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
37
37
39
40
41
42
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
43
Northwest Community College crest
Northwest College
Powell, Wyoming
44
45
46
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
47
48
49
50
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Music Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Houston Houston, TX
52 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
53 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
54 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
55 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
56 Emory University Atlanta, GA
57 Murray State University Murray, KY
58 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
59 SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY
60 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
61 Iowa State University Ames, IA
62 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
63 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
64 John Tyler Community College Chester, VA
65 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
Rank College Location
66 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
67 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
68 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
69 Florida International University Miami, FL
70 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
71 University of Idaho Moscow, ID
72 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
73 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
74 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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