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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in Virginia (With Aid)

16 Ranked Colleges
528 Degrees Awarded
$21,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Virginia, there were 675 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,700 and $28,099 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 528 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in Virginia (With Aid)

#1

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $20,397 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at James Madison University

#3

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 Virginia Tech Music Report

#4

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #4 spot on the list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 full report on Music at William & Mary

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 55 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $21,048 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at GMU

#6

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Radford, Virginia, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Radford also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Full Radford Music Report

#7

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Old Dominion University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Old Dominion University is a public institution located in Norfolk, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, Old Dominion has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Old Dominion is $16,493 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at Old Dominion University

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. VCU is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 48 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, VCU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,021 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend VCU.

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

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Music Report

#9

Hollins University

Roanoke, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Hollins University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hollins University is a small school located in Roanoke, Virginia that handed out 3 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Hollins also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Hollins University is $20,603 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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.

Full Hollins University Music Report

#10

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bridgewater, Virginia. It awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $17,929 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater.

Full Bridgewater College Music Report

#11

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Petersburg, Virginia, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Virginia State University.

Full Virginia State University Music Report

#12

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Mary Washington is a small school located in Fredericksburg, Virginia that handed out 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary Washington is $21,907 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMW Music Report

#13

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Christopher Newport University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Christopher Newport University is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

CNU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend CNU is $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Christopher Newport University

#14

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Mary Baldwin University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Staunton, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Mary Baldwin also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Mary Baldwin is $16,982 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at Mary Baldwin University

#15

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Winchester, Virginia, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Shenandoah not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Shenandoah University is $27,124 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. 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.

Full Shenandoah University Music Report

#16

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 101 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Liberty University also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $28,903 for virginia bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Full Liberty University Music Report

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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