2027 Best Value Music Schools in Alabama
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for music students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Music Schools in Alabama
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 University Of North Alabama this year. Set in the city of Florence, University Of North Alabama is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,120, compared with $22,320 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $35,599. Set against $24,000 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 John C Calhoun State Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Tanner, John C Calhoun State Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,120 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,990. Typical student debt for music graduates is $13,839. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from John C Calhoun State Community College generally make around $42,916. That is a strong return on a $13,839 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Jacksonville State University, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,894 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $23,334. Students borrow a median of $27,500 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $32,893. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Troy University earned it the #4 place for music. Located in the town of Troy, Troy University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,176, compared with $20,352 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,439 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $46,723. Set against $26,439 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Troy University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Alabama At Birmingham earned it the #5 place for music. Located in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,098, while out-of-state students pay about $22,562. Students borrow a median of $26,162 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from University Of Alabama At Birmingham generally make around $55,413. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Alabama State University earned the #6 position for value in music this year. Located in the city of Montgomery, Alabama State University is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,248, compared with $19,576 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $33,709 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Alabama State University generally make around $37,721. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
The University Of Alabama earned the #7 position for value in music this year. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,180, while out-of-state students pay about $34,172. Students borrow a median of $25,675 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $50,740. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Auburn University earned the #8 position for value in music this year. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,890, with out-of-state students paying around $34,922. Music graduates carry a median of $22,803 in student loans. Early-career music graduates make about $55,422. Set against $22,803 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
Samford University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Set in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,150. Students borrow a median of $21,039 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Samford University generally make around $64,132. That is a strong return on a $21,039 median debt. Samford University admits about 82% 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
