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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

23 Ranked Colleges
1,118 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Massachusetts, there were 1,743 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,450 and $31,150 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,118 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $2,223 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read more about Music at Williams

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $1,010 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Harvard.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Harvard Music Report

#3

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $8,951 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Boston College

#4

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northeastern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern is $12,823 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Northeastern University

#5

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wellesley College landed the #5 spot on the list. Wellesley College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $4,519 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wellesley College.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Wellesley College

#6

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $6,516 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Music at Tufts University

#7

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $13,256 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston U.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Boston U

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

Smith College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Smith College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Smith, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $10,169 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Smith.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Smith Music Report

#9

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Amherst, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $14,474 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at UMass Amherst

#10

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Holy Cross, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,031 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Holy Cross.

The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at Holy Cross

#11

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Mount Holyoke College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. South Hadley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mt. Holyoke has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Holyoke College is $17,192 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Music at Mt. Holyoke

#12

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a fairly large public school situated in Lowell, Massachusetts. It awarded 54 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $12,330 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

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 more about Music at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#13

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Westfield State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Westfield State University is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Westfield has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westfield State University is $14,071 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Westfield State University

#14

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Bridgewater State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bridgewater State University is a fairly large school located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts that handed out 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater State University is $14,707 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Music at Bridgewater State University

#15

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Brandeis University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis is $16,074 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Music at Brandeis University

#16

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $22,008 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#17

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Salem State University is located in Salem, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Salem State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $16,416 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Music at Salem State

#18

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Clark University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Clark has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $20,581 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Clark.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 1.8% 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 Clark University

#19

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMass Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Boston also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston is $15,055 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#20

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $15,219 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.

Full UMass Dartmouth Music Report

#21

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Gordon College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gordon College is a small school located in Wenham, Massachusetts that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Gordon College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $23,286 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gordon College.

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

#22

Berklee College of Music

Boston, Massachusetts

Berklee College of Music ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berklee College of Music is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 657 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Berklee College of Music, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Berklee College of Music is $40,455 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Music at Berklee College of Music

#23

Emerson College

Boston, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Emerson College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Emerson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $39,843 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emerson.

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%.

Full Emerson Music Report

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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