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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Music (Income $0-$30k)

427 Ranked Colleges
11,232 Degrees Awarded
$4,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Music is the 73rd most popular major in the country with 11,232 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 427 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general music programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More General Music Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Music (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Duke has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It costs about $371 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Duke University General Music Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $245 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Music at Northwestern

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full U-M General Music Report

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #4 spot on the list. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 27 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $961 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Yale University

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 427 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #5 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 6 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Music at Vanderbilt University

6
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

Brown excels when it comes to general music quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $1,468 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Brown General Music Report

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $65 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at UF

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s general music degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Music at UW - Madison

9

With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full IU Bloomington General Music Report

10

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 15 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $1,556 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Washington University in St Louis

11
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UPenn is in the top on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Pennsylvania General Music Report

12
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on General Music at Florida State

13
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 2 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the # rank in our "" ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Music at Michigan State

14

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general music degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC General Music Report

15
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Williams College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 3 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

Williams excels when it comes to general music quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $1,451 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Williams College General Music Report

16

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s general music degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

17
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Lafayette also did well on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $11,728 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette College.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Lafayette General Music Report

18

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,191 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at UT Rio Grande Valley

19

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified ’s general music students in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Columbia University in the City of New York

20

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 4 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to general music quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. It costs about $5,194 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus General Music Report

20

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 55 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best General Music Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $9,037 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at University of California - Los Angeles

22
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Tufts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Tufts is also in the top of our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $8,122 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Tufts University General Music Report

23

University of California - Berkeley landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general music degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Music Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Music at UC Berkeley

24
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 21 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Music Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,872 for general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about General Music at Notre Dame

25
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 11 ’s general music degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College General Music Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
27
28
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
29
30
31
32
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
33
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
34
35
36
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
37
Converse crest
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina
38
39
40
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
41
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
42
43
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
44
45
46
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
47
48
49
50
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Music Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
52University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA
53Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
54California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
55Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA
55St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
57University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
58El Centro CollegeDallas, TX
59Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
60University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
61University of KentuckyLexington, KY
62University of DelawareNewark, DE
63Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
64Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
65University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
RankCollegeLocation

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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