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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

64 Ranked Colleges
944 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting 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 the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States region, there were 1,454 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,717 and $27,428 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 944 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 64 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. 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 the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#1

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $12,462 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Truman State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at Truman State University

#2

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend UMSL.

Read full report on Music at UMSL

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

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%.

Full North Dakota State University Music Report

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $11,412 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Music at UMN Morris

#5

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low 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 full report on Music at UNI

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read more about Music at Saint Cloud State University

#8

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Winona State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Winona State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State Music Report

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University Music Report

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

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 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 Mizzou

#23 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $16,221 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Music at Minnesota State Mankato

#13 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 21 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at UNL

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UNK is a medium-sized school located in Kearney, Nebraska that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Music at UNK

#14

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 46 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa Music Report

#15

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #15, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Music at UMN Twin Cities

#16

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Warrensburg, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCM is $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Read more about Music at University of Central Missouri

#17

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#22 in overall quality

University of North Dakota came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #22 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,738 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at UND

With a ranking of #18, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. FHSU is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,053 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend FHSU.

Full FHSU Music Report

Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read more about Music at Southwest Minnesota State University

#20

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

With a ranking of #20, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,868 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read full report on Music at Bemidji State University

#21

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#22

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

Emporia State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. ESU is a medium-sized public school situated in Emporia, Kansas. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,822 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Emporia State University.

Full Emporia State University Music Report

Missouri Southern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Missouri Southern is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern State University is $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Full Missouri Southern State University Music Report

Northwest Missouri State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,354 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Full Northwest Music Report

#25

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #25, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cape Girardeau, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,774 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Music Report

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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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