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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

160 Ranked Colleges
3,881 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

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

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 160 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and cost less that 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

The music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Music Report

#2

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Berea College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Berea, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea is $5,184 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

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. 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 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 more about Music at Berea

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $6,302 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Music Report

#4

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Elizabeth City State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Elizabeth City State University is a public institution located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,350 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Elizabeth City State University.

Read full report on Music at Elizabeth City State University

#5

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,789 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at Florida State University

#6

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #6, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 15 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

FAU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $10,186 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read more about Music at FAU

#7

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. UNCSA is a small public school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 25 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UNCSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNCSA is $13,885 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 91%.

Read full report on Music at University of North Carolina School of the Arts

#8

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 40 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNC Greensboro is $12,748 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at UNC Greensboro

#9

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $20,397 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at University of Virginia

#10

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

With a ranking of #10, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Central Florida is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $10,274 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Central Florida Music Report

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend FIU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Music at Florida International University

#12

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

McNeese State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. McNeese is a medium-sized school located in Lake Charles, Louisiana that handed out 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McNeese is $12,267 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at McNeese

#13

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #13, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of West Florida is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,406 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend UWF.

Read full report on Music at UWF

#14

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University also claimed a top spot on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,464 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Music Report

#15

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Appalachian State University is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Appalachian State

#16

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $11,606 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Read more about Music at Florida Gulf Coast University

Southeastern Louisiana University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southeastern is a fairly large school located in Hammond, Louisiana that handed out 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Southeastern is in the top on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,171 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend Southeastern Louisiana University.

Full Southeastern Louisiana University Music Report

#18

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $22,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full James Madison University Music Report

#19

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. NKU is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $9,049 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at NKU

#20

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Augusta University is located in Augusta, Georgia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $11,136 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

Read more about Music at Augusta University

With a ranking of #21, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

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 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Music Report

#22

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

With a ranking of #22, Murray State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Murray State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Murray, Kentucky. It awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State University is $11,390 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Full Murray State Music Report

#23

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 35 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Florida is $9,606 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.

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 North Florida

#24

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

Virginia Tech came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,198 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

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 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Virginia Tech

#25

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #25, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend WVU is $12,983 for southeast region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.

Read full report on Music at West Virginia 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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