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

160 Ranked Colleges
3,881 Degrees Awarded
$5,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region 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. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Southeast region, there were 5,527 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,034 and $26,370 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,881 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 160 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $-7,808 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Full Duke Music Report

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for southeast 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. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Vanderbilt

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $1,994 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 full report on Music at UF

#4

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $4,026 for southeast 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 1.9% 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 UNC Chapel Hill

#5

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 87 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

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 loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State Music Report

#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

William & Mary landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,711 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at William & Mary

#7

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $11,468 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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.

Read full report on Music at Emory University

University of Central Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UCF is in the top on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $6,211 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of Central Florida

#9

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

UNCSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $3,456 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University of North Carolina School of the Arts

#10

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#6 in overall quality

Wake Forest University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,250 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Wake Forest University Music Report

Florida International University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,002 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Florida International University

#12

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Berea College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Berea, Kentucky, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Berea is $5,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at Berea

#13

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

FAU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $6,085 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full FAU Music Report

#14

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $8,882 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Music at University of Virginia

#15

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,138 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech Music Report

#16

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elizabeth City State University is a public institution located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECSU is $1,217 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at ECSU

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,950 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

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

Read more about Music at USF Tampa

#18

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

University of Georgia ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 46 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UGA has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,541 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Georgia.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of Georgia

#19

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UWF is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $4,140 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of West Florida Music Report

#20

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #20, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $4,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Northern Kentucky University

#21

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #21, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNF is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 35 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,097 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Florida.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Music Report

#22

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,824 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FGCU.

Read more about Music at FGCU

#23

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Mississippi is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,455 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ole Miss.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Music at Ole Miss

#24

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 17 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $7,169 for Southeast 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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Appalachian State

#25

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Middle Tennessee State University is also in the top of our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Music Report

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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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