2027 Best Value Music Education Schools in North Carolina
[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 7 schools to find the best return on investment for music education students.
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2027 Best Value Music Education Schools in North Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Music Education Schools
For return on investment in music education, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Greensboro this year. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public school located in the city of Greensboro. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,661, while out-of-state students pay about $24,012. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the music education program here. Music Education graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $43,033 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro admits about 88% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Western Carolina University one of the best values for music education. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $25,500. Music Education graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $41,444 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of North Carolina At Pembroke one of the best values for music education. Set in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,648, with out-of-state students paying around $7,648. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $26,660. Soon after graduation, music education degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Pembroke generally make around $45,285. That is a strong return on a $26,660 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Pembroke admits about 93% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at East Carolina University earned it the #4 place for music education. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the music education program here. Soon after graduation, music education degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $48,318. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Students looking for strong value in music education will find it at Appalachian State University, which ranked #5. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,579, while out-of-state students pay about $25,212. Music Education graduates carry a median of $21,614 in student loans. Early-career music education graduates make about $44,026. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Mount Olive College came in at #6 for value in music education this year. Located in the rural area of Mount Olive, Mount Olive College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $27,366 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $26,889. Soon after graduation, music education degree recipients from Mount Olive College generally make around $45,316. That is a strong return on a $26,889 median debt. Mount Olive College admits about 76% of applicants.
Wingate University placed #7 among the best values for music education. Located in the suburb of Wingate, Wingate University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $42,576. Students borrow a median of $26,614 to complete the music education program here. Soon after graduation, music education degree recipients from Wingate University generally make around $41,245. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wingate University admits about 91% of applicants.
More Music Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
