2027 Best Value Music Education Schools in North Dakota
[Music Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/music-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music education education at a price that pays off.
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 Dakota
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
Valley City State University tops our 2027 list of the best value music education schools in North Dakota. Set in the town of Valley City, Valley City State University is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,580, with out-of-state students paying around $13,544. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $24,394. Early-career music education graduates make about $51,170. Set against $24,394 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Minot State University earned it the #2 place for music education. Minot State University is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Minot. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,702. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $28,324. Early-career music education graduates make about $44,973. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Minot State University admits about 65% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Dickinson State University one of the best values for music education. Dickinson State University is a small public school located in the town of Dickinson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,118. Music Education graduates carry a median of $27,266 in student loans. Early-career music education graduates make about $44,841. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 37%.
Students looking for strong value in music education will find it at North Dakota State University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,910 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,564. Typical student debt for music education graduates is $25,485. Early-career music education graduates make about $54,076. Set against $25,485 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Dakota State University Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Mary one of the best values for music education. Set in the rural area of Bismarck, University Of Mary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $22,356. Students borrow a median of $27,399 to complete the music education program here. Soon after graduation, music education degree recipients from University Of Mary generally make around $43,299. Set against $27,399 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of North Dakota ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value music education schools. University Of North Dakota is a large public school located in the city of Grand Forks. In-state tuition and fees average $10,951, while out-of-state students pay about $15,570. Students borrow a median of $25,110 to complete the music education program here. Early-career music education graduates make about $56,934. That is a strong return on a $25,110 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Jamestown College earned the #7 position for value in music education this year. Jamestown College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Jamestown. In-state tuition and fees average $24,990. Music Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career music education graduates make about $59,681. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
More Music Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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.
