ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Value Other Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools

37 Colleges in the United States
$24,130 Avg Student Debt
$61,850 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Other Music Bachelor's Degree Badge [Other Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other music education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 143 schools to find the best return on investment for other music students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

2026 Best Value Other Music Schools in the United States

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other music, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Other Music Schools

1

For return on investment in other music, no school beat California State University Northridge this year. Set in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,458, while out-of-state students pay about $20,058. Other Music graduates carry a median of $15,933 in student loans. Early-career other music graduates make about $18,226. Set against $15,933 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.

2

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Tennessee Martin earned it the #2 place for other music. The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,560, while out-of-state students pay about $16,600. Students borrow a median of $23,770 to complete the other music program here. Early-career other music graduates make about $40,400. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.

3

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Washington Seattle Campus earned it the #3 place for other music. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Other Music graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans. Other Music graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of $65,681 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,481 median debt. University Of Washington Seattle Campus admits about 39% of applicants.

4

University Of California Irvine is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other music, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of California Irvine is a very large public school located in the city of Irvine. Students from in state pay about $14,752 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $46,640. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $16,539. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from University Of California Irvine generally make around $50,958. Set against $16,539 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California Irvine admits about 29% of applicants.

5

University Of California San Diego came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value other music schools. University Of California San Diego is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,788, with out-of-state students paying around $47,676. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $18,938. Other Music graduates of University Of California San Diego earn a median of $21,592 early in their careers. Set against $18,938 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.

ADBLOCK #101
6
Western Kentucky University crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY

Western Kentucky University earned the #6 position for value in other music this year. Set in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,652, while out-of-state students pay about $27,000. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $24,317. Other Music graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of $34,766 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.

7

University Of Nevada Las Vegas landed the #7 spot for other music value this year. University Of Nevada Las Vegas is a very large public school located in the city of Las Vegas. Students from in state pay about $9,748 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $27,411. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $31,000. Early-career other music graduates make about $50,039. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Nevada Las Vegas admits about 96% of applicants.

8

Morehead State University came in at #8 for value in other music this year. Located in the town of Morehead, Morehead State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,024 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,980. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $25,000. Early-career other music graduates make about $31,088. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.

9

University Of Memphis earned the #9 position for value in other music this year. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,728, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Other Music graduates carry a median of $22,060 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $27,353. Set against $22,060 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.

10

University Of Michigan Ann Arbor landed the #10 spot for other music value this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $19,397. Early-career other music graduates make about $66,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.

ADBLOCK #115
11

University Of Northern Iowa landed the #11 spot for other music value this year. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,936, compared with $21,712 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the other music program here. Early-career other music graduates make about $46,054. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.

12

Brigham Young University Provo earned the #12 position for value in other music this year. Located in the city of Provo, Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,688. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $10,460. Early-career other music graduates make about $22,625. That is a strong return on a $10,460 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.

13

California State University Chico ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value other music schools. Located in the city of Chico, California State University Chico is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,472, compared with $21,072 for out-of-state students. Other Music graduates carry a median of $24,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from California State University Chico generally make around $45,591. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.

14

University Of California Riverside earned the #14 position for value in other music this year. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,636 in tuition and fees, compared with $46,524 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $26,651. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from University Of California Riverside generally make around $20,408. That is a strong return on a $26,651 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.

15

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign placed #15 among the best values for other music. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Other Music graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $13,128. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.

ADBLOCK #145
16

Indiana University Bloomington came in at #16 for value in other music this year. Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington. In-state tuition and fees average $12,144, while out-of-state students pay about $41,891. Students borrow a median of $20,769 to complete the other music program here. Other Music graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $15,911 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Indiana University Bloomington admits about 78% of applicants.

17

University Of Southern Maine earned the #17 position for value in other music this year. University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Portland. Students from in state pay about $12,090 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,940. Students borrow a median of $23,593 to complete the other music program here. Early-career other music graduates make about $47,003. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.

18

University Of Louisiana Monroe ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value other music schools. Set in the city of Monroe, University Of Louisiana Monroe is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,190, with out-of-state students paying around $21,290. Students borrow a median of $22,465 to complete the other music program here. Other Music graduates of University Of Louisiana Monroe earn a median of $47,162 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,465 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.

19

Brigham Young University Hawaii came in at #19 for value in other music this year. Brigham Young University Hawaii is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Laie. Students from in state pay about $6,630 in tuition and fees. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from Brigham Young University Hawaii generally make around $41,461. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.

20

Ball State University landed the #20 spot for other music value this year. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,082, while out-of-state students pay about $29,630. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $24,518. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from Ball State University generally make around $47,863. That is a strong return on a $24,518 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.

ADBLOCK #150
21

University Of Delaware landed the #21 spot for other music value this year. University Of Delaware is a very large public school located in the suburb of Newark. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,810, compared with $41,400 for out-of-state students. Other Music graduates carry a median of $25,334 in student loans. Other Music graduates of University Of Delaware earn a median of $38,417 early in their careers. Set against $25,334 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.

22

George Mason University ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the best value other music schools. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, while out-of-state students pay about $38,688. Other Music graduates carry a median of $24,048 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $34,611. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.

23

Georgia State University earned the #23 position for value in other music this year. Georgia State University is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,664, while out-of-state students pay about $24,840. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the other music program here. Early-career other music graduates make about $25,108. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.

24

Johns Hopkins University came in at #24 for value in other music this year. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,730. Other Music graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University generally make around $16,479. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.

25
Vanderbilt University crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the best value other music schools. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. In-state tuition and fees average $67,498. Other Music graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 6%.

Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Other Music Schools

Not far behind, these schools also offered excellent value in other music:

26
27
Mercy College crest
Mercy College
Dobbs Ferry, NY
28
29
30
31
32
33
Michigan State University crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
34
35
36
37
38
39
Houghton College crest
Houghton College
Houghton, NY
40
41
St Olaf College crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
42
43
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
44
Capital University crest
Capital University
Columbus, OH
45
46
47
48
Lipscomb University crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN
49
50
Boston University crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

Other Other Music Degree Levels

Explore the best-value other music schools at other degree levels:

All Degree Levels in Other Music
Associate's Degrees in Other Music
Master's Degrees in Other Music
ADBLOCK #173
View All Other Music Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

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 · 143 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 37 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options