2026 Best Value Music History Schools in the Far Western Region

[Music History](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-history/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for music history students.
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Featured Music History Programs
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2026 Best Value Music History Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music history, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music History Schools
University Of Washington Seattle Campus earned the #1 spot for value among music history schools in the Far Western Region. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. Students from in state pay about $12,973 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Music History graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans. Music History graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of $65,681 early in their careers. Set against $16,481 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 39%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Los Angeles earned it the #2 place for music history. University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,233, while out-of-state students pay about $46,121. Students borrow a median of $23,119 to complete the music history program here. Music History graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of $63,833 early in their careers. Set against $23,119 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Washington University earned it the #3 place for music history. Western Washington University is a large public school located in the city of Bellingham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,582, compared with $28,707 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,055 to complete the music history program here. Soon after graduation, music history degree recipients from Western Washington University generally make around $15,834. That is a strong return on a $20,055 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
University Of The Pacific came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value music history schools. Set in the city of Stockton, University Of The Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $57,080. Students borrow a median of $26,017 to complete the music history program here. Music History graduates of University Of The Pacific earn a median of $77,022 early in their careers. Set against $26,017 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of The Pacific admits about 71% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music history will find it at University Of Southern California, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $71,647. Typical student debt for music history graduates is $20,976. Early-career music history graduates make about $23,244. Set against $20,976 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.