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Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee

2023 Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

16 Colleges
$17,821 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$27,086 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Music School for You

Music is the #19 most popular major in Tennessee with 804 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 16 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best value programs for music students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 10 Best Music Schools

$4,372 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Nashville State Community College the best value school in Tennessee for music students. Nashville State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Nashville.

Nashville State Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,372 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Music at Nashville State Community College Report

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$4,430 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Chattanooga State Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee list. Chattanooga State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga.

Chattanooga State Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,430 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Music at Chattanooga State Community College Report

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$9,848 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Chattanooga are $9,848 a year.

Read full report on Music at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

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$9,802 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Tennessee Technological University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best music schools in Tennessee. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Tennessee Tech University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,802 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that music majors at Tennessee Tech University take out is $18,950.

Tennessee Tech University also claimed a spot on our Best Music Schools in Tennessee list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Music at Tennessee Technological University Report

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$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 16 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University are $9,232 per year. On average, music graduates from Middle Tennessee State University take out $21,375 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $231.

Full Music at Middle Tennessee State University Report

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$9,912 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well on this year’s best value schools for music students. UT Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Martin are $9,912 a year. While working on their degree, music majors at UT Martin accumulate an average of around $20,538 in student debt.

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$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a very large student population.

UT Knoxville undergraduate students pay an average of $13,244 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Music majors at UT Knoxville take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

UT Knoxville also took the #4 spot in our Best Music Schools in Tennessee rankings.

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$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

East Tennessee State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for music students. It came in at #8 on the list. ETSU is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ETSU are $9,438 a year. While working on their degree, music majors at ETSU accumulate an average of around $18,550 in student debt.

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#9

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Memphis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee list. UofM is a very large public school located in the large city of Memphis.

UofM undergraduate students pay an average of $10,056 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that music majors at UofM take out is $24,250.

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#10

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Austin Peay State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,431 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Music majors at Austin Peay State University take out an average of $31,624 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Music at Austin Peay State University Report

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Best Value Music Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Music Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 472
Virginia 632
North Carolina 511
Florida 1,223
Kentucky 284
South Carolina 204
Louisiana 315
Arkansas 184
Alabama 276
Mississippi 182
West Virginia 93

One of 10 majors within the area of study, music has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Music

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 16 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 the rest 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.

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