Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

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

108 Ranked Colleges
2,637 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Middle Atlantic region, there were 4,874 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,145 and $31,557 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,637 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 108 colleges that offered a degree in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

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

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 108 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $3,181 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at UPenn

#2

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $3,526 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Music at Johns Hopkins University

#3

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $7,484 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell University Music Report

#4

Hunter College

New York, New York

Out of the 108 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #4 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $320 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 full report on Music at Hunter College

#5

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $1,858 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Baruch College Music Report

#6

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#4 in overall quality

Hamilton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Hamilton also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Hamilton College is $7,942 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Hamilton College

#7

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#2 in overall quality

Colgate University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colgate University is located in Hamilton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Colgate also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $9,752 for middle atlantic region 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Music at Colgate University

#8

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#25 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 39 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $8,054 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 UMCP

#9

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lehman College is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $234 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lehman Music Report

#10

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $704 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at CCNY

#11

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 30 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $1,255 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Queens College

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $8,916 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Music at Columbia University in the City of New York

#13

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Lafayette College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lafayette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette College is $6,934 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Lafayette College Music Report

#14

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,106 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Brooklyn College

#15

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York
#12 in overall quality

Vassar College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vassar is a small school located in Poughkeepsie, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,186 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vassar.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Vassar College

#16

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Towson University is a public institution located in Towson, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,206 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Towson University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Music at Towson University

#17

St Lawrence University

Canton, New York
#20 in overall quality

St Lawrence University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St Lawrence University is a small school located in Canton, New York that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Lawrence did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $11,916 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St Lawrence University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at St Lawrence University

#18

St Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St Mary’s College of Maryland is a public institution located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,445 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St Mary’s College of Maryland.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 3.4% 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 SMCM

#19

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

Dickinson College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dickinson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson College is $11,046 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full Dickinson Music Report

University of Maryland - Baltimore County came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - Baltimore County is a fairly large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMBC is $10,820 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at University of Maryland - Baltimore County

#21

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Staten Island, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend College of Staten Island CUNY is $3,109 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at CSI

#22

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York
#19 in overall quality

Skidmore College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Skidmore also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Skidmore is $9,372 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.6% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at Skidmore College

#23

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

The College of New Jersey came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ewing, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, TCNJ has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TCNJ is $11,445 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Music at TCNJ

#24

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Fredonia is a small public school situated in Fredonia, New York. It awarded 50 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,770 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at SUNY Fredonia

#25

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York

With a ranking of #25, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 126 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

University of Rochester also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $15,324 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Rochester.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at University of Rochester

Switch to a More Focused Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You