2027 Best Value Music Schools in Michigan
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value music schools.
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2027 Best Value Music Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Schools
For return on investment in music, no school beat Oakland University this year. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,167 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $24,735. Typical student debt for music graduates is $25,972. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Oakland University generally make around $54,785. Set against $25,972 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Oakland University admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, which ranked #2. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Students from in state pay about $18,848 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Students borrow a median of $19,397 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $29,641. Set against $19,397 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Wayne State University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,650. Typical student debt for music graduates is $26,000. Music graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $32,911 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Michigan University earned it the #4 place for music. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Music graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Music graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $27,361 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Eastern Michigan University one of the best values for music. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,990. Students borrow a median of $28,781 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University generally make around $47,887. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Grand Valley State University landed the #6 spot for music value this year. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,502, while out-of-state students pay about $21,894. Typical student debt for music graduates is $29,198. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Grand Valley State University generally make around $34,882. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Grand Valley State University admits about 83% of applicants.
Central Michigan University earned the #7 position for value in music this year. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Students from in state pay about $15,480 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,975 to complete the music program here. Music graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $24,911 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Michigan State University earned the #8 position for value in music this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music graduates is $26,750. Music graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $40,570 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,750 median debt. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
