2027 Best Value Music Education Schools in Georgia

[Music Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/music-education/) 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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for music education students.
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2027 Best Value Music Education Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Education Schools
For return on investment in music education, no school beat Valdosta State University this year. Located in the city of Valdosta, Valdosta State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,124, while out-of-state students pay about $17,836. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $28,661. Music Education graduates of Valdosta State University earn a median of $54,511 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,661 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Georgia earned it the #2 place for music education. Set in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $31,688. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $20,750. Music Education graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of $61,081 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in music education will find it at Augusta University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,414, while out-of-state students pay about $24,734. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $25,969. Music Education graduates of Augusta University earn a median of $54,156 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Augusta University admits about 86% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music education will find it at Columbus State University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Columbus, Columbus State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,898, while out-of-state students pay about $17,610. Students borrow a median of $28,040 to complete the music education program here. Early-career music education graduates make about $40,616. Set against $28,040 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kennesaw State University earned it the #5 place for music education. Located in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,808, with out-of-state students paying around $17,736. Music Education graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Music Education graduates of Kennesaw State University earn a median of $45,243 early in their careers. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Georgia Southern University earned the #6 position for value in music education this year. Set in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,022, while out-of-state students pay about $17,734. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the music education program here. Music Education graduates of Georgia Southern University earn a median of $41,063 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Piedmont College earned the #7 position for value in music education this year. Set in the town of Demorest, Piedmont College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,700. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $29,975. Music Education graduates of Piedmont College earn a median of $55,865 early in their careers. Set against $29,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Piedmont College admits about 93% of applicants.
Georgia College And State University placed #8 among the best values for music education. Located in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia College And State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,186, compared with $29,512 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $24,412. Soon after graduation, music education degree recipients from Georgia College And State University generally make around $52,718. That is a strong return on a $24,412 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Emmanuel College Georgia came in at #9 for value in music education this year. Emmanuel College Georgia is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Franklin Springs. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,500. Students borrow a median of $25,807 to complete the music education program here. Early-career music education graduates make about $30,093. That is a strong return on a $25,807 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Mercer University ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value music education schools. Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon. In-state tuition and fees average $31,565. Students borrow a median of $32,463 to complete the music education program here. Music Education graduates of Mercer University earn a median of $56,699 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,463 median debt. The acceptance rate is 69%.
More Music Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.