2027 Best Value Music Schools in North Carolina
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for music students.
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2027 Best Value Music Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill the best value for a degree in music in North Carolina. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Typical student debt for music graduates is $19,000. Early-career music graduates make about $32,880. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at University Of North Carolina At Greensboro, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,661, with out-of-state students paying around $24,012. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the music program here. Music graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $24,315 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Western Carolina University, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,630 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Western Carolina University generally make around $26,135. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Asheville earned it the #4 place for music. University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Asheville. In-state tuition and fees average $7,501, with out-of-state students paying around $24,849. Students borrow a median of $22,108 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Asheville generally make around $31,821. Set against $22,108 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Asheville admits about 92% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts earned it the #5 place for music. Located in the city of Winston Salem, University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,477, compared with $27,211 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for music graduates is $23,143. Early-career music graduates make about $19,939. That is a strong return on a $23,143 median debt. The acceptance rate is 30%.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earned the #6 position for value in music this year. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,858 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $38,831. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
East Carolina University earned the #7 position for value in music this year. East Carolina University is a very large public school located in the city of Greenville. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the music program here. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $26,222. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Appalachian State University landed the #8 spot for music value this year. Set in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,579, with out-of-state students paying around $25,212. Music graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Music graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $23,304 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Appalachian State University admits about 90% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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.
