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Featured Music Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
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2026 Best Value Music Schools in Rhode Island
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Music Schools
Leading the list is University Of Rhode Island, our #1 best value for music in Rhode Island. Set in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,942, compared with $37,146 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $23,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from University Of Rhode Island generally make around $52,821. Set against $23,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Brown University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,312. Typical student debt for music graduates is $13,025. Early-career music graduates make about $62,820. Set against $13,025 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
