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2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania

21 Ranked Colleges
987 Degrees Awarded
$25,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in Pennsylvania” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 987 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,370 and $26,889 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 in Pennsylvania” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania music students.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Music in Pennsylvania

1
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. WCUPA is a public institution located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania music students list, WCUPA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $21,484 for pennsylvania music students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Music at WCUPA

2
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Messiah University. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Messiah is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Messiah also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Messiah University is $26,864 for Pennsylvania Music students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music at Messiah

3
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,927 for pennsylvania music students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at SRU

4
Millersville crest
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania. Millersville is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

Millersville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $23,133 for Pennsylvania Music students per year to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

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

Full Millersville University of Pennsylvania Music Report

5
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Temple University. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 130 students in 2020-2021.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple is $23,888 for pennsylvania music students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music at Temple

6

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 59 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

IUP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,828 for pennsylvania music students per year to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus.

Full IUP Music Report

7
Mansfield University crest
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #7, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania music students list, Mansfield University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,793 for Pennsylvania Music students per year to attend Mansfield University.

Read full report on Music at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

8

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 31 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $27,058 for Pennsylvania Music students per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Pitt Music Report

9
Bloomsburg crest
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Bloomsburg also took the #18 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg is $20,639 for Pennsylvania Music students.

Read full report on Music at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

10
Kutztown University crest
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school situated in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 15 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Kutztown University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University is $23,227 for pennsylvania music students.

Full Kutztown University Music Report

11
Cal U crest
California University of Pennsylvania
California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This medium-sized school is located in California, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal U also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,117 for pennsylvania music students per year to attend Cal U.

Read full report on Music at Cal U

12
Albright crest
Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

Albright not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $19,427 for pennsylvania music students per year to attend Albright.

Full Albright Music Report

13
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, Duquesne University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 50 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Duquesne not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Duquesne University is $31,383 for pennsylvania music students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Duquesne

14
LVC crest
Lebanon Valley College
Annville, Pennsylvania

Lebanon Valley College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Lebanon Valley College is a small school located in Annville, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

LVC also made our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $27,569 for Pennsylvania Music students per year to attend LVC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lebanon Valley College Music Report

15
Moravian crest
Moravian College
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Moravian College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Moravian is a small school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania music students list, Moravian has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Moravian College is $27,801 for pennsylvania music students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full Moravian Music Report

16
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $36,775 for pennsylvania music students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Carnegie Mellon

17
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $25,046 for Pennsylvania Music students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Pennsylvania Music Report

18
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. The University of the Arts is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania music students list, UArts has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $39,564 for pennsylvania music students per year to attend The University of the Arts.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full UArts Music Report

19
Susquehanna crest
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania list. Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Susquehanna also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,396 for pennsylvania music students per year to attend Susquehanna.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Susquehanna

20
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Muhlenberg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Muhlenberg, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $29,936 for Pennsylvania Music students per year to attend Muhlenberg.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Muhlenberg College Music Report

21
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Value Music Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania music students list, Lafayette has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $32,926 for Pennsylvania Music students per year to attend Lafayette.

Since the school has a undergrad 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Lafayette College

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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