2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $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 Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 6,038 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 265 colleges that offered a degree in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k)
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 14 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 124 diplomas to qualified masters’s music students in 2019-2020.
Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 53 degrees to qualified masters’s music students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.
Rice also made our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Cornell University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 5 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Cornell also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042.
University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, UPenn is in the top on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #8, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
WUSTL also made our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #9, Harvard University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Harvard is also in the top of our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654.
With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Florida landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 17 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Johns Hopkins University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425.
With a ranking of #13, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 77 degrees to qualified masters’s music students in 2019-2020.
U-M also made our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago excels when it comes to music quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548.
Dartmouth College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth College are $58,120, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 10 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia excels when it comes to music quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Madison is also in the top of our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.
Read more about Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #19, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
Tufts excels when it comes to music quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts University are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Hunter College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 9 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Music at California State University - Los Angeles
Northeastern University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 10 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Irvine ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine is also in the top of our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #24, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music degrees to 193 students in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 47 masters’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Music Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Rest of the Best 40 in Best Value Music Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k
Not only did these schools make the top 40 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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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