2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in Massachusetts
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #1 spot on the list. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $22,501 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westfield State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Westfield State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Westfield, Massachusetts. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Westfield also took the #17 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,167 for massachusetts 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bridgewater State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State University is $18,457 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is located in Lowell, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Lowell, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Lowell is $19,119 for massachusetts 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 more about Music at University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Salem State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Salem State University is a medium-sized school located in Salem, Massachusetts that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Salem State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $18,399 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Salem State.
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $18,503 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
With a ranking of #7, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students list, UMass Boston has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,340 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend UMass Boston.
With a ranking of #8, Gordon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wenham, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Gordon College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $25,777 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend Gordon College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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.
Clark University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Clark is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
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. It costs about $28,805 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Clark University.
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. 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%.
Williams College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Williams also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $19,480 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #11, Berklee College of Music did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 657 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students list, Berklee College of Music has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Berklee College of Music is $49,514 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
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.
College of the Holy Cross landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Holy Cross also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend College of the Holy Cross is $37,292 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.
With a ranking of #13, Emerson College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. 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 also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Emerson College is $45,365 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Mount Holyoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. This small school is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees 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 yearly cost to attend Mt. Holyoke is $27,149 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. 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.
Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Massachusetts also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $26,809 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #16. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $15,386 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Harvard.
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 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Northeastern University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students list, Northeastern has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $31,093 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Northeastern.
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 #18, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Northampton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students list, Smith has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $28,305 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
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. 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%.
With a ranking of #19, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Brandeis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis is $31,165 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #20, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
Boston U also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $30,259 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #21, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
Boston College also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $35,899 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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%.
With a ranking of #22, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Tufts University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $30,744 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Music 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Wellesley College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #22. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree music students list, Wellesley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $22,087 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree music 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.
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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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