2026 Best Value Music Therapy Schools in the Southwest Region
[Music Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/music-therapy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value music therapy schools.
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2026 Best Value Music Therapy Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music therapy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Therapy Schools
Texas Womans University earned the #1 spot for value among music therapy schools in the Southwest Region. Texas Womans University is a large public school located in the city of Denton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,640, while out-of-state students pay about $18,480. Students borrow a median of $24,211 to complete the music therapy program here. Music Therapy graduates of Texas Womans University earn a median of $60,449 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,211 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in music therapy will find it at Arizona State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $21,842 in student loans. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $44,359. That is a strong return on a $21,842 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Sam Houston State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value music therapy schools. Sam Houston State University is a very large public school located in the town of Huntsville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,228, while out-of-state students pay about $19,068. Students borrow a median of $24,850 to complete the music therapy program here. Soon after graduation, music therapy degree recipients from Sam Houston State University generally make around $46,365. Set against $24,850 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of The Incarnate Word one of the best values for music therapy. Set in the city of San Antonio, University Of The Incarnate Word is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,090. Students borrow a median of $24,103 to complete the music therapy program here. Music Therapy graduates of University Of The Incarnate Word earn a median of $49,729 early in their careers. Set against $24,103 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 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.
