2026 Best Value Music Pedagogy Schools in the Southeast Region

[Music Pedagogy](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-pedagogy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music pedagogy education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for music pedagogy students.
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2026 Best Value Music Pedagogy Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music pedagogy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Pedagogy Schools
For return on investment in music pedagogy, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Greensboro this year. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. Students from in state pay about $7,661 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $24,012. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Soon after graduation, music pedagogy degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro generally make around $24,315. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Kentucky came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value music pedagogy schools. Located in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,502, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Music Pedagogy graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music pedagogy degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $30,818. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes The University Of Tennessee one of the best values for music pedagogy. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, with out-of-state students paying around $33,256. Students borrow a median of $23,453 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Soon after graduation, music pedagogy degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $33,043. That is a strong return on a $23,453 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Bob Jones University earned it the #4 place for music pedagogy. Set in the city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $22,892. Music Pedagogy graduates carry a median of $20,497 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music pedagogy degree recipients from Bob Jones University generally make around $40,538. Set against $20,497 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
James Madison University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value music pedagogy schools. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,966, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Students borrow a median of $20,968 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Early-career music pedagogy graduates make about $36,106. That is a strong return on a $20,968 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Lee University earned the #6 position for value in music pedagogy this year. Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,790. Music Pedagogy graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music pedagogy degree recipients from Lee University generally make around $38,249. That is a strong return on a $28,000 median debt. Lee University admits about 70% of applicants.
Liberty University earned the #7 position for value in music pedagogy this year. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Early-career music pedagogy graduates make about $33,956. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Shenandoah University earned the #8 position for value in music pedagogy this year. Shenandoah University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winchester. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,950. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Early-career music pedagogy graduates make about $62,948. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Shenandoah University admits about 77% of applicants.
University Of Miami placed #9 among the best values for music pedagogy. University Of Miami is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Coral Gables. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,616. Students borrow a median of $13,998 to complete the music pedagogy program here. Early-career music pedagogy graduates make about $23,991. That is a strong return on a $13,998 median debt. The acceptance rate is 19%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.