2027 Best Value Music Schools in Connecticut

[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value music schools.
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2027 Best Value Music Schools in Connecticut
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
For return on investment in music, no school beat Western Connecticut State University this year. Set in the city of Danbury, Western Connecticut State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,401, with out-of-state students paying around $16,901. Music graduates carry a median of $26,025 in student loans. Music graduates of Western Connecticut State University earn a median of $21,659 early in their careers. Set against $26,025 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Yale University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,250. Music graduates carry a median of $14,357 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Yale University generally make around $21,250. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 4%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Connecticut one of the best values for music. University Of Connecticut is a very large public school located in the town of Storrs. In-state tuition and fees average $21,044, compared with $43,712 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from University Of Connecticut generally make around $31,336. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Connecticut admits about 52% of applicants.
Wesleyan University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Middletown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,042. Music graduates carry a median of $16,125 in student loans. Music graduates of Wesleyan University earn a median of $39,764 early in their careers. Set against $16,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 16%.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Hartford one of the best values for music. University Of Hartford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of West Hartford. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,075. Typical student debt for music graduates is $27,000. Early-career music graduates make about $26,775. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
University Of New Haven came in at #6 for value in music this year. Set in the suburb of West Haven, University Of New Haven is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $47,332. Music graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Music graduates of University Of New Haven earn a median of $22,171 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. University Of New Haven admits about 60% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.