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2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts

22 Ranked Colleges
214 Degrees Awarded
$26,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 11,573 people earned their degree in general music, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States.

Across Massachusetts, there were 272 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 214 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general music programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Music Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in Massachusetts

#1

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #1 spot on the list. UMass Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Amherst, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $22,501 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at UMass Amherst

#2

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westfield State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Westfield is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Westfield did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $19,167 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Westfield

#3

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bridgewater State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State is $18,457 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students.

Read full report on General Music at Bridgewater State University

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts. This fairly large school is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,119 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend UMass Lowell.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Massachusetts - Lowell General Music Report

#5

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Salem State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Salem State is a medium-sized public school situated in Salem, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Salem State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $18,399 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend Salem State University.

Read more about General Music at Salem State University

#6

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a public institution located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $18,503 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

Full UMass Dartmouth General Music Report

#22 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston is $18,340 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

Read full report on General Music at UMass Boston

#8

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #8. Gordon College is a small school located in Wenham, Massachusetts that handed out 4 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gordon College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $25,777 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Gordon College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Gordon College

#9

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Clark University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Clark also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $28,805 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend Clark.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Clark General Music Report

#10

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Williams College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

Williams also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $19,480 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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

#11

Berklee College of Music

Boston, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Berklee College of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #11. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

Berklee College of Music did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Berklee College of Music is $49,514 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Berklee College of Music

#12

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Holy Cross, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend College of the Holy Cross is $37,292 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Holy Cross

#13

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #13. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students list, Mt. Holyoke has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $27,149 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Music at Mt. Holyoke

#14

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Norton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $26,809 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Music at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#15

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $15,386 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Harvard

#16

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Northeastern University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 33 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $31,093 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Northeastern

#17

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

Smith College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Smith is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Smith College is $28,305 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Smith College General Music Report

#18

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Brandeis University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Brandeis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $31,165 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Brandeis University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on General Music at Brandeis University

#19

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

Boston U also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $30,259 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about General Music at Boston University

#20

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Boston College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

Boston College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $35,899 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Boston College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on General Music at Boston College

#21

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Wellesley College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $22,087 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Music at Wellesley

#21

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Tufts University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general music students list, Tufts has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $30,744 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Music at Tufts University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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