by our College Data Analytics Team
[Acoustics](/majors/physical-sciences/physics/acoustics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for acoustics students.
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The acoustics program you select can have a big impact on your finances and your future. To help, we created our Best Value Acoustics Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
Read more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Acoustics Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the acoustics degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in acoustics, no school beat Brigham Young University Provo this year. Set in the city of Provo, Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,688. Typical student debt for acoustics graduates is $12,184. Early-career acoustics graduates make about $68,664. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in acoustics, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,356. Typical student debt for acoustics graduates is $26,062. Soon after graduation, acoustics degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University World Campus generally make around $103,672. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Pennsylvania State University World Campus admits about 91% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Columbia College Chicago earned it the #3 place for acoustics. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,088. Typical student debt for acoustics graduates is $26,557. Acoustics graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $29,160 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
A rank of #4 makes Pennsylvania State University Main Campus one of the best values for acoustics. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,644, while out-of-state students pay about $41,790. Typical student debt for acoustics graduates is $23,830. Acoustics graduates of Pennsylvania State University Main Campus earn a median of $73,567 early in their careers. Set against $23,830 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
New York University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value acoustics schools. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $62,796. Students borrow a median of $22,750 to complete the acoustics program here. Soon after graduation, acoustics degree recipients from New York University generally make around $34,624. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
San Francisco Conservatory Of Music came in at #6 for value in acoustics this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco Conservatory Of Music is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $56,150. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the acoustics program here. Early-career acoustics graduates make about $32,882. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Acoustics. See all related rankings.
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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.