by our College Data Analytics Team
[Music Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/music-education/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music education students.
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Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music education, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in music education, no school beat University Of Vermont this year. Set in the city of Burlington, University Of Vermont is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $19,058, with out-of-state students paying around $45,502. Music Education graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career music education graduates make about $41,099. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
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 · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
