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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

26 Ranked Colleges
688 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 27,047 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 40th most popular in the United States. 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 1,098 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,733 and $26,798 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 688 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 26 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

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

#1

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Colorado College has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado College is $11,568 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. 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 more about Music at Colorado College

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #2 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 37 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU - I also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $2,637 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Music Report

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #3 spot on the list. BYU is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 68 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $8,834 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at BYU

#4

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wyoming is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $8,231 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of Wyoming

#5

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Utah is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, U of U has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U of U is $11,511 for rocky mountains region 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 89%. 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%.

Read full report on Music at U of U

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Denver, Colorado, this large public school awarded 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

CU Anschutz also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CU Anschutz is $11,584 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music 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%.

Read full report on Music at CU Anschutz

Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Fort Collins, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,831 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#8

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

U of I also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for U of I is $10,877 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Idaho Music Report

With a ranking of #9, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school awarded 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Boulder is $13,366 for Rocky Mountains Region 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 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at CU - Boulder

#10

Weber State University

Ogden, Utah
#15 in overall quality

Weber State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WSU is a large school located in Ogden, Utah that handed out 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $9,790 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at WSU

#11

Utah State University

Logan, Utah

Utah State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Utah State University is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 38 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

USU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $10,643 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Utah State University.

Read full report on Music at Utah State University

#23 in overall quality

Utah Valley University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Utah Valley University is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UVU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $7,334 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UVU Music Report

#13

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, Colorado

University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Greeley, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

University of Northern Colorado did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $11,571 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.

Read more about Music at University of Northern Colorado

#14

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah
#20 in overall quality

Southern Utah University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Southern Utah University is a fairly large public school situated in Cedar City, Utah. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Southern Utah University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Utah University is $11,779 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Utah University Music Report

#15

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana

The University of Montana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Missoula, Montana, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UM has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,064 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UM.

Read more about Music at UM

#16

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. FLC is located in Durango, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

FLC also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend FLC is $13,108 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Fort Lewis College Music Report

#17

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Western Colorado University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Colorado University is a small school located in Gunnison, Colorado that handed out 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western is $13,018 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at Western

#18

Adams State University

Alamosa, Colorado
#24 in overall quality

Adams State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Alamosa, Colorado, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Adams State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $10,108 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Adams State.

Full Adams State Music Report

Colorado State University - Pueblo ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Colorado State University - Pueblo is a public institution located in Pueblo, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State University - Pueblo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo is $11,363 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at Colorado State University - Pueblo

Metropolitan State University of Denver landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MSU Denver is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 25 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, MSU Denver has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver is $11,531 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Metropolitan State University of Denver

#21

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Boise State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boise State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boise State University is $12,000 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Boise State University Music Report

#22

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado

With a ranking of #22, Colorado Mesa University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Colorado Mesa University is a public institution located in Grand Junction, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa University is $12,708 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Colorado Mesa

#23

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana

Montana State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Montana State University is a fairly large school located in Bozeman, Montana that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Bozeman also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Montana State University is $15,706 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at MSU Bozeman

#24

Dixie State University

Saint George, Utah
#25 in overall quality

Dixie State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint George, Utah is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Dixie State College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $9,825 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dixie State University.

Read more about Music at Dixie State College

#25

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado

University of Denver did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Denver is $19,659 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at DU

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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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