2026 Best Value Music Schools in Kansas
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for music students.
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Featured 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.
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2026 Best Value Music Schools in Kansas
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Music Schools
Our analysis ranked Wichita State University the best value for a degree in music in Kansas. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,684 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,869 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $24,262 in student loans. Early-career music graduates make about $49,278. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Emporia State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value music schools. Emporia State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Emporia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,106, with out-of-state students paying around $15,419. Students borrow a median of $23,131 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $46,440. Set against $23,131 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Emporia State University admits about 98% of applicants.
University Of Kansas came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value music schools. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,102, compared with $30,432 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $23,608 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from University Of Kansas generally make around $31,244. Set against $23,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Kansas admits about 94% of applicants.
Kansas State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in music, landing the #4 spot this year. Kansas State University is a very large public school located in the city of Manhattan. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,221, while out-of-state students pay about $28,568. Typical student debt for music graduates is $23,546. Early-career music graduates make about $51,543. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 23 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.
