2022 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 Massachusetts, there were 1,743 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,450 and $31,150 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 25 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Williams also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $14,653 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $22,285 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 low 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wellesley College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
Wellesley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,275 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wellesley.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Holyoke Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Holyoke Community College is a small public school situated in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It awarded 1 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Holyoke Community College, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Holyoke Community College is $11,968 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $15,553 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
With a ranking of #6, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 83 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $24,051 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMass Amherst.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low 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%.
Smith College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Smith not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Smith is $22,926 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.
Northeastern University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Northeastern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern is $25,744 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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%.
University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Lowell, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Lowell, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $21,523 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, Bridgewater State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bridgewater State University is a fairly large school located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts that handed out 4 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Bridgewater State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater State is $20,987 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a ranking of #11, Westfield State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Westfield is a medium-sized school located in Westfield, Massachusetts that handed out 13 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Westfield also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $21,287 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Westfield.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, Mount Holyoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Mt. Holyoke is a small private not-for-profit school situated in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It awarded 6 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Mt. Holyoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $20,586 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. 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.
Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Wheaton College Massachusetts is located in Norton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $23,339 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, 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.
Salem State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Salem State is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Salem State also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $20,502 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Salem State.
Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Wenham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Gordon College also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $24,786 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #16, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. College of the Holy Cross is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 4 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Holy Cross did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Holy Cross is $27,807 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
Tufts also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $27,430 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Tufts University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #18, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Brandeis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Brandeis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Brandeis is $29,713 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 142 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $31,075 for massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
UMass Dartmouth also took the #23 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,216 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.
Read full report on Music at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
Clark University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Clark has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clark is $25,915 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UMass Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 13 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Boston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $22,761 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Music at University of Massachusetts - Boston
Berklee College of Music ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 810 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Berklee College of Music has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $48,355 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Berklee College of Music.
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.
Emerson College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Emerson College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 1 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Emerson has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emerson College is $42,458 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low 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%.
Longy School of Music of Bard College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Longy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 119 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Longy also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #21.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
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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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