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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

64 Ranked Colleges
944 Degrees Awarded
$26,271 Avg Salary
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Plains States 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 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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 64 colleges that offered 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $11,832 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%. 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.

Full Washington University in St Louis Music Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $7,558 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Morris Music Report

#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 $48-$75k. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Truman State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $12,031 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Music at Truman State University

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,577 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Olaf.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at St. Olaf

#5

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMSL is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,894 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at University of Missouri - St Louis

#6

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #6, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at UMN Twin Cities

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 23 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 $48-$75k list, Mizzou has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Music at Mizzou

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $15,686 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Music Report

#9

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Winona State University 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 $48-$75k ranking. Winona State University is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $15,140 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#10

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 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 $48-$75k list, UNI has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,729 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at UNI

#16 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $14,161 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Iowa State University Music Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 21 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,197 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNL.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Music Report

#25 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $12,438 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Music Report

#14

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $13,373 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full St. Cloud State University Music Report

With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,833 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Music Report

#16

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota

Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Concordia College Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Concordia College Moorhead did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia College at Moorhead is $20,924 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Concordia College Moorhead Music Report

#17

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Carleton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,716 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Carleton.

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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at Carleton

Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 $13,988 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southwest Minnesota State University Music Report

#23 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $14,451 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Minnesota State University - Mankato

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. UNK is a public institution located in Kearney, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNK is $15,343 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 University of Nebraska at Kearney

#21

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#22 in overall quality

University of North Dakota landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,109 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Music Report

#22

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

Grinnell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Grinnell also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $12,486 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Grinnell

#23

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #23, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $18,272 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at Iowa

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $11,988 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northwest Music Report

#25

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#20 in overall quality

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 14 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $16,889 for plains states region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at Kansas State 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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