2026 Best Value Musicology & Ethnomusicology Schools in the New England Region
[Musicology & Ethnomusicology](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/musicology-and-ethnomusicology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for musicology & ethnomusicology students.
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2026 Best Value Musicology & Ethnomusicology Schools in the New England Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the musicology & ethnomusicology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Musicology & Ethnomusicology Schools
For return on investment in musicology & ethnomusicology, no school beat University Of Massachusetts Amherst this year. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public school located in the city of Amherst. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,772, while out-of-state students pay about $40,449. Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates of University Of Massachusetts Amherst earn a median of $53,543 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Brown University earned it the #2 place for musicology & ethnomusicology. Set in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $71,312. Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates carry a median of $13,025 in student loans. Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates of Brown University earn a median of $62,820 early in their careers. Set against $13,025 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Boston University earned it the #3 place for musicology & ethnomusicology. Located in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,102 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,957 to complete the musicology & ethnomusicology program here. Early-career musicology & ethnomusicology graduates make about $30,982. Set against $26,957 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in musicology & ethnomusicology will find it at Bennington College, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Bennington, Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,262. Students borrow a median of $26,815 to complete the musicology & ethnomusicology program here. Early-career musicology & ethnomusicology graduates make about $29,031. That is a strong return on a $26,815 median debt. Bennington College admits about 44% of applicants.
The New England Conservatory Of Music is a great value for students pursuing a degree in musicology & ethnomusicology, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Boston, The New England Conservatory Of Music is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $60,750. Typical student debt for musicology & ethnomusicology graduates is $26,991. Early-career musicology & ethnomusicology graduates make about $24,499. Set against $26,991 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The New England Conservatory Of Music admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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.
