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2023 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

38 Ranked Colleges
1,308 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,308 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,383 and $23,796 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 38 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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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

1
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Truman State University is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 30 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Truman State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Truman State University is $14,302 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Truman State Music Report

2
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k list, UNI has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,318 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNI.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Music Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Kansas City. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 111 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

UMKC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,700 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMKC.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on Music at University of Missouri - Kansas City

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $17,909 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Music Report

5

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 12 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Iowa State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,806 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music at Iowa State

6
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. UMSL is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,257 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMSL.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at UMSL

7
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 29 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

WSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $17,903 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Music at WSU

8
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 84 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Iowa has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $20,719 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Iowa Music Report

9
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 53 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Olaf did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $21,334 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend St Olaf College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at St Olaf College

10

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,553 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNL.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,938 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

12
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #12, Winona State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 3 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Winona State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,902 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Winona State.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Winona State University Music Report

13
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 24 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,156 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Kansas State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Kansas State University Music Report

14

Missouri Southern State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Joplin, Missouri, this small public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,414 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Missouri Southern.

Read full report on Music at Missouri Southern

15

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 26 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $19,956 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Mizzou

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $19,107 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth

17
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k list, WUSTL has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $23,508 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Washington University in St Louis

18

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 47 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also made our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $17,994 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Missouri State University - Springfield

19

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,624 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of Nebraska at Omaha

20
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $17,440 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at St. Cloud State University

21

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UNK is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 17 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

UNK also made our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $19,463 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska at Kearney Music Report

22
ESU crest
Emporia State University
Emporia, Kansas

Emporia State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. ESU is located in Emporia, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,759 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Emporia State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at ESU

23
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCM is a fairly large public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 27 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UCM is $16,436 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UCM Music Report

24
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. USD is a medium-sized public school situated in Vermillion, South Dakota. It awarded 15 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

USD also made our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Dakota is $21,009 for plains states region music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full University of South Dakota Music Report

25
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Decorah, Iowa, and it awarded 30 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $26,789 for Plains States Region Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Music at Luther College

Notes and References

References

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