[Music Performance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-performance/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music performance education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value music performance schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music performance degrees they offer, see the list below.
Brigham Young University Idaho tops our 2026 list of the best value music performance schools in Idaho. Set in the town of Rexburg, Brigham Young University Idaho is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $4,800 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,541 to complete the music performance program here. Early-career music performance graduates make about $43,853. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Idaho earned it the #2 place for music performance. University Of Idaho is a large public school located in the town of Moscow. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,084, compared with $28,320 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,844 to complete the music performance program here. Early-career music performance graduates make about $30,191. Set against $23,844 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Idaho admits about 76% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Idaho State University earned it the #3 place for music performance. Idaho State University is a large public school located in the city of Pocatello. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,610, compared with $27,720 for out-of-state students. Music Performance graduates carry a median of $24,640 in student loans. Early-career music performance graduates make about $51,446. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Boise State University one of the best values for music performance. Set in the city of Boise, Boise State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,048 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $27,788. Typical student debt for music performance graduates is $24,311. Early-career music performance graduates make about $49,059. Set against $24,311 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Boise State University admits about 87% of applicants.
More Music Performance Rankings
View All Music Performance Rankings >
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 · 5 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.
