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

23 Ranked Colleges
414 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 North Carolina, there were 553 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,820 and $28,120 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 414 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in North Carolina

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-7,808 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $4,026 for North Carolina 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#3

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UNCSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $3,456 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at UNCSA

#4

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $5,250 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Wake Forest University

#5

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elizabeth City State University landed the #5 spot on the list. ECSU 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.

ECSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for ECSU is $1,217 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Elizabeth City State University

#6

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#7 in overall quality

Appalachian State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $7,169 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Appalachian State University Music Report

#7

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Greensboro did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Greensboro is $8,853 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at UNC Greensboro

#8

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

WCU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $9,188 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Western Carolina University Music Report

#9

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Asheville landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Asheville is a public institution located in Asheville, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNCA has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNCA is $8,063 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNCA Music Report

#10

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #10, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. East Carolina University is a public institution located in Greenville, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, ECU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $11,026 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ECU.

Full East Carolina University Music Report

#11

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a fairly large public school situated in Wilmington, North Carolina. It awarded 21 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNCW also took the #9 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNCW is $12,229 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Music Report

#12

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina
#19 in overall quality

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC A&T is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

NC A&T also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC A&T is $7,493 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at NC A&T

#13

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#10 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $11,991 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

#14

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston - Salem State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winston - Salem State University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 2 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, WSSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $10,541 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winston - Salem State University.

Full WSSU Music Report

#15

North Carolina Central University

Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. North Carolina Central University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Carolina Central University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina Central University is $12,882 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at North Carolina Central University

#16

Catawba College

Salisbury, North Carolina

Catawba College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Catawba College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salisbury, North Carolina. It awarded 18 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Catawba has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Catawba College is $16,210 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Catawba College Music Report

#17

Greensboro College

Greensboro, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

Greensboro College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Greensboro College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Greensboro College also took the #22 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $15,244 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Greensboro College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Music at Greensboro College

#18

Meredith College

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Meredith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Meredith is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Meredith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $18,882 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Meredith.

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

#19

Salem College

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

Salem College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salem is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Salem not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Salem is $14,475 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Salem College

#20

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#14 in overall quality

Queens University of Charlotte did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Queens is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Queens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Queens is $20,485 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about Music at Queens University of Charlotte

#21

Campbell University

Buies Creek, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

Campbell University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Campbell has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $20,200 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Campbell.

Read full report on Music at Campbell

#22

Guilford College

Greensboro, North Carolina
#23 in overall quality

Guilford College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Guilford, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Guilford College is $19,885 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Guilford

#23

High Point University

High Point, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

High Point University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. High Point is located in High Point, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

High Point not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend High Point is $33,024 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at High Point

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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