[Music Performance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-performance/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music performance education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music performance students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music performance, balancing cost against outcomes.
Truman State University earned the #1 spot for value among music performance schools in Missouri. Set in the town of Kirksville, Truman State University is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,838 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,566. Typical student debt for music performance graduates is $23,168. Early-career music performance graduates make about $39,764. That is a strong return on a $23,168 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Missouri Kansas City one of the best values for music performance. University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. In-state tuition and fees average $13,371, with out-of-state students paying around $32,271. Typical student debt for music performance graduates is $23,089. Early-career music performance graduates make about $32,144. That is a strong return on a $23,089 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Missouri State University Springfield came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value music performance schools. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,502, while out-of-state students pay about $18,770. Music Performance graduates carry a median of $24,408 in student loans. Early-career music performance graduates make about $46,503. That is a strong return on a $24,408 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Evangel University earned it the #4 place for music performance. Set in the city of Springfield, Evangel University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $28,548. Students borrow a median of $24,876 to complete the music performance program here. Music Performance graduates of Evangel University earn a median of $42,039 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,876 median debt. Evangel University admits about 72% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Webster University one of the best values for music performance. Webster University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,750. Music Performance graduates carry a median of $25,939 in student loans. Music Performance graduates of Webster University earn a median of $57,152 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
More Music Performance Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 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.
