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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k

13 Ranked Colleges
241 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Music is the 40th most popular major in the country with 27,047 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,639 and had an average of $28,653 in loans still to pay off.

Across Washington, there were 437 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $18,350 and $25,010 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 241 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,202 and $21,977 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in Washington

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#2

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $9,334 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music 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%.

Read more about Music at Washington State University

#3

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Washington University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 26 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $9,743 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Washington University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at WWU

#4

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Washington University landed the #4 spot on the list. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

EWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $8,473 for washington bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Washington University.

Read full report on Music at EWU

#5

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Washington University landed the #5 spot on the list. Central Washington University is a fairly large school located in Ellensburg, Washington that handed out 41 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CWU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $9,875 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Washington University.

Read more about Music at CWU

#6

Whitworth University

Spokane, Washington

Whitworth University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Spokane, Washington, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Whitworth also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $17,565 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Whitworth University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Whitworth University

#7

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, Washington

Pacific Lutheran University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pacific Lutheran University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tacoma, Washington. It awarded 22 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

PLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The estimated yearly cost for PLU is $17,344 for washington bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at PLU

#8

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington

Northwest University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Kirkland, Washington, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwest University is $15,871 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read full report on Music at Northwest University

#9

Whitman College

Walla Walla, Washington
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Whitman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k list. Walla Walla, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Whitman also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $22,616 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Whitman College.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 more about Music at Whitman

#10

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, Washington

With a ranking of #10, Seattle Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k list. Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SPU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Seattle Pacific University is $19,900 for washington bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 at SPU

#11

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, Washington

University of Puget Sound landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our washington bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Puget Sound has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $26,828 for washington bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Puget Sound.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music at University of Puget Sound

#12

Seattle University

Seattle, Washington
#3 in overall quality

Seattle University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Seattle U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Seattle U, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $23,730 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Seattle University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national 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 at Seattle U

#13

Cornish College of the Arts

Seattle, Washington

Cornish College of the Arts came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornish College of the Arts is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Cornish College of the Arts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $31,070 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornish College of the Arts.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 at Cornish College of the Arts

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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