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ADVERTISEMENTS
Featured General 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.
Learn More
2026 Best Value General Music Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general music, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Music Schools
For return on investment in general music, no school beat University Of South Dakota this year. Set in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,432, with out-of-state students paying around $12,942. Students borrow a median of $26,322 to complete the general music program here. Early-career general music graduates make about $46,183. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Dakota admits about 99% of applicants.
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
ADBLOCK #116
[General Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/general-music/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
