2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts (With Aid)
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,118 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Music Schools
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 a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $19,480 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
Wellesley also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $22,087 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $15,386 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #4 spot on the list. UMass Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 48 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Amherst also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $22,501 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Westfield State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Westfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Westfield also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield State University is $19,167 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Bridgewater State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bridgewater State University is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
Bridgewater State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater State is $18,457 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a fairly large public school situated in Lowell, Massachusetts. It awarded 54 bachelors’s music degrees 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Lowell is $19,119 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Salem State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Salem State is a medium-sized public school situated in Salem, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, Salem State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,399 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
University of Massachusetts - Boston landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
UMass Boston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $18,340 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Read full report on Music at University of Massachusetts - Boston
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a medium-sized school located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Dartmouth also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $18,503 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.
Boston College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $35,899 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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.
College of the Holy Cross came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. College of the Holy Cross is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, Holy Cross has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend College of the Holy Cross is $37,292 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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 ranking of #13, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston U also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $30,259 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Norton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $26,809 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 87%.
Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wenham, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, Gordon College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $25,777 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Smith College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Smith also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $28,305 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. 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.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid 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 bachelors’s music degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $30,744 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Tufts University.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Mount Holyoke College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
Mt. Holyoke also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Holyoke College is $27,149 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Clark University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Clark University is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Clark not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $28,805 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Clark University.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northeastern University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern University is $31,093 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Brandeis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $31,165 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Brandeis.
The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Berklee College of Music came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 657 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Berklee College of Music not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Berklee College of Music is $49,514 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Emerson College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emerson, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $45,365 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Emerson.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the New England Region (With Aid)
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (With Aid)
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Visual & Performing Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Dance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Dance in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Drama & Theater Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Fine & Studio Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Other Visual Art
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Visual Art in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Design & Applied Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Arts & Media Management
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Arts & Media Management in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Switch to a More Focused Major
General Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Music in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Music Theory & Composition
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Other Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Music in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts
Music students in the state of Massachusetts
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts
Music students in Massachusetts
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Music Schools
Music students in Massachusetts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts
Music students with family income less than $30k in Massachusetts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in Massachusetts
Music students with family income $48-$75k in Massachusetts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income Over $110k) in Massachusetts
Music students with family income exceeding $110k in Massachusetts
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Music Graduates in Massachusetts
Music students in Massachusetts
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts
Music students in Massachusetts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Music students getting aid in Massachusetts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts
Music students with family income $30-$48k in Massachusetts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts
Music students with family income $75-$110k in Massachusetts
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.
Featured Performing Arts Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.