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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

25 Ranked Colleges
178 Degrees Awarded
$14,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Music Performance is the 103rd most popular major in the country with 7,957 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Plains States region, there were 271 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 178 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music performance. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music performance programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music performance program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Truman State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Truman State University is a public institution located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $7,564 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Truman State Music Performance Report

#2

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #2 spot on the list. St Olaf College is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 19 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,459 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Olaf.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full St. Olaf Music Performance Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,443 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Music Performance Report

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNI has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,757 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at UNI

#5

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winona State University is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Winona State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $12,381 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State University Music Performance Report

#6

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,688 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read more about Music Performance at St. Cloud State University

#14 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,490 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Music Performance Report

#8

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#8 in overall quality

University of North Dakota ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $11,092 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full UND Music Performance Report

#15 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,065 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music Performance at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#24 in overall quality

Missouri Southern State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Missouri Southern is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Missouri Southern also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri Southern.

Read full report on Music Performance at Missouri Southern

#19 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $12,527 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music Performance at Missouri State University - Springfield

#12

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#21 in overall quality

Wichita State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wichita State University is a public institution located in Wichita, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,642 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WSU.

Read full report on Music Performance at WSU

#13

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas
#22 in overall quality

Washburn University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Topeka, Kansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Washburn University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washburn University is $11,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music Performance at Washburn University

#14

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Concordia College Moorhead did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College at Moorhead is $17,881 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia College at Moorhead Music Performance Report

#15

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
#13 in overall quality

University of South Dakota ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

USD also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USD is $14,517 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Dakota Music Performance Report

#16

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas
#23 in overall quality

Pittsburg State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Pitt State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,638 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pittsburg State University.

Read more about Music Performance at Pitt State

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

SMU MN also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for SMU MN is $15,036 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Music Performance Report

#18

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Parkville, Missouri, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Park University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $13,622 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Park University Music Performance Report

#19

Webster University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Webster University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Webster University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Webster not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Webster is $18,661 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Webster

#20

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Clarke University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarke also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Clarke is $32,534 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Music Performance at Clarke

#21

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, Nebraska
#10 in overall quality

Nebraska Wesleyan University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nebraska Wesleyan University is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

NWU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,946 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Nebraska Wesleyan University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Music Performance at Nebraska Wesleyan University

#22

University of Northwestern - St Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#18 in overall quality

University of Northwestern - St Paul landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northwestern is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 5 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $19,785 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Music Performance Report

#23

North Central University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, North Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central University is $17,582 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at North Central University

#24

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Drake University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Drake University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Drake has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drake is $25,212 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Music Performance at Drake University

#25

Evangel University

Springfield, Missouri
#11 in overall quality

Evangel University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Evangel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Evangel is $21,243 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Music Performance at Evangel

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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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