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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

160 Ranked Colleges
3,881 Degrees Awarded
$25,474 Avg Salary
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 27,047 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 40th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,639 and had an average of $28,653 in loans still to pay off.

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

For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 160 colleges that offer a degree in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music 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 the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $4,150 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Music at Duke

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vanderbilt University Music Report

#3

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $12,004 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Music at Wake Forest University

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,060 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 44 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UF has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,528 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UF Music Report

#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

William & Mary came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, William & Mary has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $11,721 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at William & Mary

#7

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Berea College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Berea College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berea, Kentucky. It awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,259 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Berea.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Berea Music Report

#8

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 87 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Florida State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,583 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Florida State

#9

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,671 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

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

Read full report on Music at University of Virginia

#10

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 29 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UCF is in the top on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $11,161 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of Central Florida

With a ranking of #11, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 40 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $10,298 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at FIU

#12

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #12, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,511 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read more about Music at The University of West Florida

#13

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. ECSU is a small public school situated in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Elizabeth City State University is $3,930 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music at ECSU

#14

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FAU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,786 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FAU.

Read more about Music at FAU

#15

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #15, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Emory University is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 31 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $19,672 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Emory Music Report

#16

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

Virginia Tech came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $19,067 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech Music Report

#17

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNCSA, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNCSA is $13,690 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of North Carolina School of the Arts Music Report

#18

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #18, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $10,039 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at NKU

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,809 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Music Report

#20

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Murray State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Murray, Kentucky. It awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $11,959 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Murray State Music Report

#21

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $12,344 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at Florida Gulf Coast University

#22

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

University of Georgia came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,748 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Music at University of Georgia

#23

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

McNeese State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lake Charles, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McNeese is $17,357 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full McNeese State University Music Report

#24

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Florida is $10,006 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Music at UNF

With a ranking of #25, Southeastern Louisiana University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southeastern is a fairly large school located in Hammond, Louisiana that handed out 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Southeastern is in the top on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern is $13,333 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music at Southeastern Louisiana University

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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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