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2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

118 Ranked Colleges
5,336 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Music Schools 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. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 5,336 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,836 and $24,882 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 118 colleges that offered a degree in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Music Schools 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. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 13 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $7,160 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Read full report on Music at Duke

2
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Music Schools 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. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 44 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.

Full Vanderbilt Music Report

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 62 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,394 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 97%.

Full University of Florida Music Report

4
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 171 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $11,506 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Florida State

5
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Valencia College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 113 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

Valencia College also made our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $7,781 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music at Valencia College

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,619 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Music Report

7
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #7, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $16,019 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 97%.

Read more about Music at University of Virginia - Main Campus

8

University of Central Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 53 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,426 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about Music at University of Central Florida

9
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 71 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $15,037 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 more about Music at UGA

10
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Emory has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $16,646 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Emory University Music Report

11

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. UWF is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,301 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of West Florida Music Report

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Kentucky is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 60 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $16,708 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at University of Kentucky

13

With a ranking of #13, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,669 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of South Florida - Main Campus

14
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. UNF is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UNF is $10,194 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on Music at UNF

15

Florida International University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $7,292 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad 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 Florida International University Music Report

16
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Virginia University is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,077 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Full West Virginia University Music Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNCSA is a small school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 41 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $13,480 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at UNCSA

18
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #18, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. NKU is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $9,505 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at NKU

19

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $13,214 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

20

John Tyler Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. John Tyler Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Chester, Virginia. It awarded 5 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,519 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend John Tyler Community College.

Full John Tyler Community College Music Report

21
Converse crest
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Converse College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Converse is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Converse College is $23,858 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at Converse

22
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 26 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State University is $11,244 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at Murray State

23
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 148 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

Middle Tennessee State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $14,498 for southeast region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Music Report

24
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

UARK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,256 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Arkansas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Arkansas Music Report

25

University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Asheville, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,644 for Southeast Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNCA.

Read more about Music at University of North Carolina at Asheville

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