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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

64 Ranked Colleges
944 Degrees Awarded
$11,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region 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. 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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 the Plains States region, there were 1,454 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,717 and $27,428 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 944 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 64 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $6,248 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Washington University in St Louis

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #2 spot on the list. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $3,435 for plains states region 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%.

Read more about Music at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Truman State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Truman State University is a small school located in Kirksville, Missouri that handed out 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $8,269 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Truman State University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Truman State

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,276 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St Olaf College.

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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at St Olaf College

#5

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,418 for Plains States Region 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 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#6

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #6, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $6,838 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UMSL Music Report

#25 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,992 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read more about Music at UMN Duluth

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,595 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mizzou.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Mizzou

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

North Dakota State University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,544 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Music Report

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Iowa State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,843 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Iowa State University

#11

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $13,606 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Winona State

#12

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $11,274 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music at St. Cloud State University

#13

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

UNI also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,495 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNI.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at University of Northern Iowa

#13 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

UNL also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $13,508 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,460 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Read full report on Music at UNOMAHA

#16

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Carleton College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Carleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton College is $9,358 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Carleton

#17

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bemidji, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,658 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Full Bemidji State University Music Report

#23 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,781 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Music Report

University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized school located in Kearney, Nebraska that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNK also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UNK is $13,417 for plains states region 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 more about Music at University of Nebraska at Kearney

#20

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, UND has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $11,916 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UND Music Report

With a ranking of #21, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $11,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southwest Minnesota State University Music Report

#22

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota

Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Concordia College Moorhead is a private not-for-profit institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia College Moorhead also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College at Moorhead is $17,927 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Music at Concordia College at Moorhead

#23

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

Grinnell College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Grinnell College is a small school located in Grinnell, Iowa that handed out 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $14,818 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at Grinnell

With a ranking of #24, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. FHSU is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $9,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Music at Fort Hays State University

#25

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,073 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of Iowa

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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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