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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
279 Degrees Awarded
$21,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Music is the 68th most popular major in the country with 11,573 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 530 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 279 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general music programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general music program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Illinois State University

#2

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

Full Eastern Illinois University General Music Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Music Report

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about General Music at SIUE

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend NIU.

Read more about General Music at Northern Illinois University

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

Full Northeastern Illinois University General Music Report

#20 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at University of Illinois at Chicago

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on General Music at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Park, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full North Park University General Music Report

#10

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Music at Wheaton College Illinois

#11

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene General Music Report

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about General Music at Bradley

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 42 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $31,099 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Columbia.

Read full report on General Music at Columbia

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

University of St Francis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at University of St Francis

#25 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

TIU Illinois also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Trinity International University - Illinois General Music Report

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Elmhurst

#17

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Roosevelt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $22,749 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

Read more about General Music at Roosevelt

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Dominican U.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Music at Dominican U

#19

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students list, Millikin has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Millikin General Music Report

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College General Music Report

#21

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Augustana College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Music at Augustana

#22

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full DePaul General Music Report

#23

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $26,426 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Lake Forest College

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Music at Loyola Chicago

#25

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,039 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Music at Illinois Wesleyan University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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