2026 Best Value Music History Schools in New York
[Music History](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-history/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music history education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for music history students.
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2026 Best Value Music History Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music history, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music History Schools
For return on investment in music history, no school beat Cuny Hunter College this year. Cuny Hunter College is a very large public school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,382, compared with $15,332 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $11,091. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from Cuny Hunter College generally make around $33,384. Set against $11,091 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 54% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Suny College At Potsdam one of the best values for music history. Located in the town of Potsdam, Suny College At Potsdam is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,768, compared with $18,678 for out-of-state students. Music History graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from Suny College At Potsdam generally make around $23,902. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Stony Brook University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value music history schools. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,931 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $32,741. Students borrow a median of $20,537 to complete the music history program here. Early-career music history graduates make about $60,047. That is a strong return on a $20,537 median debt. The acceptance rate is 49%.
A rank of #4 makes University At Buffalo one of the best values for music history. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,936, compared with $31,536 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $22,232. Early-career music history graduates make about $52,403. Set against $22,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University At Buffalo admits about 74% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music history will find it at Five Towns College, which ranked #5. Five Towns College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Dix Hills. Students from in state pay about $30,250 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,750 to complete the music history program here. Early-career music history graduates make about $25,554. Set against $27,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 54%.
University Of Rochester ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value music history schools. University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rochester. Students from in state pay about $67,080 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $26,769. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from University Of Rochester generally make around $60,865. That is a strong return on a $26,769 median debt. Roughly 40% of applicants are accepted.
Nazareth College came in at #7 for value in music history this year. Nazareth College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. In-state tuition and fees average $42,210. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $26,185. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from Nazareth College generally make around $44,626. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Nazareth College admits about 75% of applicants.
Bard College landed the #8 spot for music history value this year. Set in the rural area of Annandale-On-Hudson, Bard College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,436. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $26,402. Early-career music history graduates make about $30,660. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 52%.
Skidmore College placed #9 among the best values for music history. Skidmore College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs. Students from in state pay about $67,140 in tuition and fees. Music History graduates carry a median of $18,274 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from Skidmore College generally make around $34,440. That is a strong return on a $18,274 median debt. Roughly 21% of applicants are accepted.
Syracuse University placed #10 among the best values for music history. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. In-state tuition and fees average $65,528. Students borrow a median of $26,130 to complete the music history program here. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $18,574. Set against $26,130 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 46%.
The New School earned the #11 position for value in music history this year. Located in the city of New York, The New School is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $58,730 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $24,000. Early-career music history graduates make about $15,510. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 64%.
More Music History Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
