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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts

23 Ranked Colleges
1,118 Degrees Awarded
$25,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,118 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $14,653 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Full Williams College Music Report

#2

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boston College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $22,285 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Boston College

#3

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $22,275 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Music at Wellesley College

#4

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. UMass Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $24,051 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UMass Amherst Music Report

#5

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $15,553 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Music at Harvard University

#6

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

Smith College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Smith is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Smith is $22,926 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music at Smith College

#7

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northeastern is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 33 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $25,744 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read more about Music at Northeastern

University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMass Lowell has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $21,523 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full University of Massachusetts - Lowell Music Report

#9

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Bridgewater State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Bridgewater State is a fairly large school located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts that handed out 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State University is $20,987 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Music at Bridgewater State University

#10

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Westfield State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Westfield is located in Westfield, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Westfield also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $21,287 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Westfield Music Report

#11

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Mount Holyoke College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $20,586 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mount Holyoke College Music Report

#12

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $23,339 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Wheaton College Massachusetts

#12

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Salem, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Salem State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Salem State is $20,502 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Music at Salem State

#14

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Gordon College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Gordon College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Gordon College.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Gordon College

#15

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $27,430 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Music at Tufts

#16

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend College of the Holy Cross is $27,807 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Read full report on Music at Holy Cross

#17

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Brandeis University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $29,713 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Brandeis.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Brandeis

#18

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $31,075 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Boston U

#19

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a public institution located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth also took the #22 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,216 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.

Read full report on Music at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

#20

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Clark University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clark, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clark University is $25,915 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Clark University

#21

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. UMass Boston is a fairly large public school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Boston also took the #23 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $22,761 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Music at UMass Boston

#22

Berklee College of Music

Boston, Massachusetts

Berklee College of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 657 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Berklee College of Music did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Berklee College of Music is $48,355 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Read more about Music at Berklee College of Music

#23

Emerson College

Boston, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Emerson College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Emerson College is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Emerson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emerson College is $42,458 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Emerson College Music Report

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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