2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts 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 in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, there were 1,743 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,450 and $31,150 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in Massachusetts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Williams also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $7,134 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $3,411 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 9 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $14,229 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boston College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston College also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $17,113 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of the Holy Cross. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k. College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Holy Cross has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Holy Cross is $22,581 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 83 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Amherst, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,104 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMass Amherst.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $20,231 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 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%.
Northeastern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern is $17,692 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 97%.
With a ranking of #9, Mount Holyoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mt. Holyoke is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 6 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Mt. Holyoke also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $17,860 for massachusetts 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
With a ranking of #10, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $13,525 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Holyoke Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Holyoke, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Holyoke Community College also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Holyoke Community College is $9,118 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #12, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Smith is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Smith not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $16,394 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Smith College.
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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Massachusetts - Lowell landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMass Lowell is a fairly large school located in Lowell, Massachusetts that handed out 54 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $16,672 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMass Lowell.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Westfield State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Westfield State University is located in Westfield, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Westfield also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $17,643 for Massachusetts 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%.
With a ranking of #15, Bridgewater State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bridgewater, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Bridgewater State also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State University is $18,389 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Wheaton College Massachusetts ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 11 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Massachusetts also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $22,571 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Salem State also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $18,547 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Salem State University.
With a ranking of #18, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brandeis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brandeis is $20,122 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Gordon College also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $22,933 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Clark University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Clark is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 9 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Clark also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clark University is $21,568 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. UMass Dartmouth is a medium-sized public school situated in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It awarded 6 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Dartmouth also took the #23 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,658 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.
With a ranking of #22, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMass Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Boston also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $18,521 for Massachusetts Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston.
With a ranking of #23, Longy School of Music of Bard College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 119 students in 2019-2020.
Longy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 100%.
Berklee College of Music came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 810 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Berklee College of Music also made our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Berklee College of Music is $45,959 for massachusetts music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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.
Emerson College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Emerson is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 1 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Emerson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Music Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Emerson is $41,701 for massachusetts 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%.
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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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