2027 Best Value Music Therapy Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Music Therapy](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/music-therapy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music therapy students.
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2027 Best Value Music Therapy Schools in the The Plains States 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
For return on investment in music therapy, no school beat University Of Minnesota Twin Cities this year. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Typical student debt for music therapy graduates is $21,577. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $56,395. That is a strong return on a $21,577 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kansas earned it the #2 place for music therapy. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,102, while out-of-state students pay about $30,432. Students borrow a median of $23,608 to complete the music therapy program here. Music Therapy graduates of University Of Kansas earn a median of $68,233 early in their careers. Set against $23,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Kansas admits about 94% of applicants.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value music therapy schools. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,166. Students borrow a median of $24,499 to complete the music therapy program here. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $68,177. Set against $24,499 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Wartburg College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in music therapy, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Waverly, Wartburg College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $26,250. Music Therapy graduates carry a median of $26,793 in student loans. Early-career music therapy graduates make about $46,918. Set against $26,793 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wartburg College admits about 76% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 4 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.
