---

2027 Best Value Music Schools in District of Columbia

[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Music Schools in District of Columbia

2027 Best Value Music Schools in District of Columbia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Music Schools

1

Catholic University Of America
Washington, DC

$58,378 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,625 Avg Student Debt

$73,250 Median Earnings (10yr)

Catholic University Of America earned the #1 spot for value among music schools in District of Columbia. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,378. Music graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Catholic University Of America generally make around $23,856. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.

2

Howard University
Washington, DC

$35,810 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,498 Avg Student Debt

$63,066 Median Earnings (10yr)

Howard University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Set in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Music graduates carry a median of $25,498 in student loans. Early-career music graduates make about $58,495. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.

View All Music Rankings >

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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.