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2026 Best Value General Music Schools in Rhode Island

[General Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/general-music/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general music students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Music Schools in Rhode Island

2026 Best Value General Music Schools in Rhode Island

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general music degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Music Schools

1

University Of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI

$16,942 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,125 Avg Student Debt

$69,743 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in general music, no school beat University Of Rhode Island this year. Located in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,942, while out-of-state students pay about $37,146. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $23,125. Early-career general music graduates make about $52,821. That is a strong return on a $23,125 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.

2

Brown University
Providence, RI

$71,312 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,025 Avg Student Debt

$93,487 Median Earnings (10yr)

Brown University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general music, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,312. General Music graduates carry a median of $13,025 in student loans. Early-career general music graduates make about $62,820. Set against $13,025 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.

View All General Music Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.