2027 Best Value Music Therapy Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Music Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/music-therapy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music therapy students.
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2027 Best Value Music Therapy Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music therapy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Music Therapy Schools
Our analysis ranked Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis the best value for a degree in music therapy in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,762, while out-of-state students pay about $34,891. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $22,937 in student loans. Music Therapy graduates of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis earn a median of $55,713 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Carroll University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value music therapy schools. Set in the city of Waukesha, Carroll University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,890. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $26,904 in student loans. Music Therapy graduates of Carroll University earn a median of $71,185 early in their careers. Set against $26,904 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Cleveland State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value music therapy schools. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,982, while out-of-state students pay about $18,502. Students borrow a median of $26,336 to complete the music therapy program here. Music Therapy graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median of $66,152 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,336 median debt. Cleveland State University admits about 91% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Michigan University earned it the #4 place for music therapy. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Students borrow a median of $26,668 to complete the music therapy program here. Music Therapy graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $60,669 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Evansville one of the best values for music therapy. Located in the city of Evansville, University Of Evansville is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $44,172. Typical student debt for music therapy graduates is $25,234. Music Therapy graduates of University Of Evansville earn a median of $74,335 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,234 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #6 for value in music therapy this year. Eastern Michigan University is a large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. Students from in state pay about $16,990 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for music therapy graduates is $27,425. Music Therapy graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of $43,271 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,425 median debt. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Indianapolis earned the #7 position for value in music therapy this year. Set in the city of Indianapolis, University Of Indianapolis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,200. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $26,699 in student loans. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $70,588. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Ohio University Main Campus earned the #8 position for value in music therapy this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,158, while out-of-state students pay about $24,838. Typical student debt for music therapy graduates is $24,546. Soon after graduation, music therapy degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $75,234. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Indiana Wesleyan University came in at #9 for value in music therapy this year. Indiana Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Marion. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,352. Typical student debt for music therapy graduates is $25,606. Soon after graduation, music therapy degree recipients from Indiana Wesleyan University generally make around $48,109. That is a strong return on a $25,606 median debt. Indiana Wesleyan University admits about 89% of applicants.
University Of Dayton ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value music therapy schools. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,140. Typical student debt for music therapy graduates is $25,033. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $71,505. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Saint Mary Of The Woods College landed the #11 spot for music therapy value this year. Set in the rural area of Saint Mary of the Woods, Saint Mary Of The Woods College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,240. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $30,915 in student loans. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $39,859. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Mary Of The Woods College admits about 72% of applicants.
Concordia University Wisconsin came in at #12 for value in music therapy this year. Set in the suburb of Mequon, Concordia University Wisconsin is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $35,470. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $21,875 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music therapy degree recipients from Concordia University Wisconsin generally make around $72,716. That is a strong return on a $21,875 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
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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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
