2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in North Carolina
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking.
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 North Carolina, there were 553 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,820 and $28,120 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 414 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 North Carolina” 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 North Carolina
The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in North Carolina
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNCSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNCSA is $13,885 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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.
Read more about Music at University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Carolina University landed the #3 spot on the list. Cullowhee, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
WCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, East Carolina University landed the #4 spot on the list. East Carolina University is a large public school situated in Greenville, North Carolina. It awarded 20 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
ECU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $15,844 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Appalachian State University is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 17 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 40 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Greensboro also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $12,748 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend UNC Greensboro.
Read more about Music at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a fairly large public school situated in Wilmington, North Carolina. It awarded 21 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UNCW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend UNCW is $19,055 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Charlotte also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $16,529 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Music at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
UNCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Asheville is $12,061 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
Read full report on Music at University of North Carolina at Asheville
Elizabeth City State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Elizabeth City State University is a small public school situated in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
ECSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $2,350 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend ECSU.
With a ranking of #11, Winston - Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
WSSU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSSU is $12,286 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
North Carolina A & T State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
NC A&T also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC A&T is $10,274 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
With a ranking of #13, North Carolina Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students list, North Carolina Central University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina Central University is $14,732 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
Greensboro College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Greensboro College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students list, Greensboro College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $18,764 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend Greensboro College.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Catawba College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Salisbury, North Carolina, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Catawba also took the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Catawba College is $18,185 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
Salem College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina 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.
Salem not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Salem College is $18,010 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
Queens University of Charlotte did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #17. Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Queens, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $25,078 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Queens University of Charlotte.
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 low 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%.
Campbell University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Campbell is a medium-sized school located in Buies Creek, North Carolina that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Campbell also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $24,544 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Campbell.
Meredith College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Meredith also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Meredith is $23,683 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 86%.
High Point University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Located in High Point, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree music students list, High Point has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend High Point is $37,255 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Guilford College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Guilford also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Guilford College is $22,996 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
With a ranking of #22, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Wake Forest University also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $29,990 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Duke University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $27,020 for north carolina bachelor’s degree music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. 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.
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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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