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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the New England Region

48 Ranked Colleges
1,541 Degrees Awarded
$19,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the New England Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 the New England Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 New England region, there were 2,411 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,388 and $28,236 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,541 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,041 and $24,492 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region” ranking looked at 48 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 the New England Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the New England Region

#1

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Westfield State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Westfield State University 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.

It costs about $19,167 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Westfield.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Westfield State University

#2

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bridgewater State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region. Bridgewater State University is a public institution located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State University is $18,457 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

Read more about Music at Bridgewater State University

#3

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Salem State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region. Salem State University is located in Salem, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,399 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Salem State University.

Read full report on Music at Salem State

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Maine landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized school located in Portland, Maine that handed out 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Maine is $12,339 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

Read full report on Music at University of Southern Maine

#5

Plymouth State University

Plymouth, New Hampshire

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Plymouth State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region. Plymouth, New Hampshire is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,316 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend Plymouth State.

Read more about Music at Plymouth State University

#6

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. RIC is a medium-sized public school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Rhode Island College is $10,922 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

Read more about Music at Rhode Island College

#7

Keene State College

Keene, New Hampshire

Keene State College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Keene, New Hampshire is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,394 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Keene State.

Read full report on Music at Keene State

#8

Eastern Connecticut State University

Willimantic, Connecticut

Eastern Connecticut State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. ECSU is a public institution located in Willimantic, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Connecticut State University is $18,618 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

Read more about Music at Eastern Connecticut State University

#9

Southern Connecticut State University

New Haven, Connecticut

Southern Connecticut State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Southern Connecticut State University is a medium-sized school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SCSU is $20,763 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

Full SCSU Music Report

#10

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Kingston, Rhode Island, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

URI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $20,607 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend University of Rhode Island.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Rhode Island Music Report

Western Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #11. WestConn is located in Danbury, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Connecticut State University is $18,215 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

Read more about Music at Western Connecticut State University

#12

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. University of Massachusetts 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 also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $22,501 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at UMass Amherst

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #13. UNH is a fairly large public school situated in Durham, New Hampshire. It awarded 25 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree music students list, UNH has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is $24,067 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at UNH

#14

Northern Vermont University

Johnson, Vermont

Northern Vermont University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. Northern Vermont University is a public institution located in Johnson, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Vermont University is $15,749 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

Full Northern Vermont University Music Report

#15

University of Maine

Orono, Maine

University of Maine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #15. UMaine is located in Orono, Maine and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,558 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend University of Maine.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMaine Music Report

#16

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #16, University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. Located in Lowell, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Lowell, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Lowell is $19,119 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

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%.

Read full report on Music at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#17

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Located in New Britain, Connecticut, this fairly large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,158 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Central Connecticut State University.

Read full report on Music at CCSU

#18

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. North Dartmouth, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMass Dartmouth is $18,503 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

Read more about Music at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

#19

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

Gordon College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. Wenham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree music students list, Gordon College has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $25,777 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend Gordon College.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Music at Gordon College

#20

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. UCONN is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 42 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCONN is $22,012 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at UCONN

#21

University of Vermont

Burlington, Vermont
#24 in overall quality

University of Vermont came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. UVM is located in Burlington, Vermont and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

UVM also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Vermont is $18,982 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full University of Vermont Music Report

#22

University of Hartford

West Hartford, Connecticut

University of Hartford landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking. University of Hartford is located in West Hartford, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Hartford is $28,541 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music at University of Hartford

#23

University of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Connecticut

With a ranking of #23, University of Bridgeport did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. This small school is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Bridgeport is $22,600 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

Read more about Music at University of Bridgeport

#24

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region list. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMass Boston is $18,340 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students.

Read more about Music at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#25

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Clark University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #25. Clark University is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Clark University is $28,805 for new england region bachelor’s degree music students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Music at Clark

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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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