2026 Best Value Stringed Instruments Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Stringed Instruments](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/stringed-instruments/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for stringed instruments students.
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Featured Stringed Instruments Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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2026 Best Value Stringed Instruments Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in stringed instruments, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Stringed Instruments Schools
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #1 spot for value among stringed instruments schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Students borrow a median of $19,397 to complete the stringed instruments program here. Early-career stringed instruments graduates make about $29,641. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in stringed instruments will find it at Indiana University Bloomington, which ranked #2. Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington. In-state tuition and fees average $12,144, while out-of-state students pay about $41,891. Stringed Instruments graduates carry a median of $20,769 in student loans. Soon after graduation, stringed instruments degree recipients from Indiana University Bloomington generally make around $28,328. Set against $20,769 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Roosevelt University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in stringed instruments, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,315 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,750 to complete the stringed instruments program here. Early-career stringed instruments graduates make about $29,974. That is a strong return on a $27,750 median debt. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for stringed instruments. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Typical student debt for stringed instruments graduates is $18,166. Soon after graduation, stringed instruments degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $28,057. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 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.
