2027 Best General Music Schools in Illinois
General Music programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for general music students.
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Best Schools for General Music in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the general music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in General Music
No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year for general music. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Evanston. About 95% of students finish within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 22 general music degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $28,057. Typical student debt for the program is $18,166.
Read more about the general music program at Northwestern University
Students looking for a strong general music program will find one at Illinois State University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 37 general music students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general music degree from Illinois State University earn around $35,863 in the first couple years of their career. Illinois State University graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans.
See the full general music program report for Illinois State University
A rank of #3 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the top schools for general music. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates 85% of students within six years. There were roughly 90 general music students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $25,536. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans.
Read more about the general music program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Eastern Illinois University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in general music, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public institution. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 36 general music degrees were awarded at Eastern Illinois University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University generally make around $37,163. Typical student debt for the program is $26,300.
Get the full general music details for Eastern Illinois University
Students looking for a strong general music program will find one at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, which ranked #5. This large public university is located in the suburb of Edwardsville. About 55% of students finish within six years. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville awarded about 21 general music degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $34,079. Students borrow a median of $23,500 to complete this degree.
See the full general music program report for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Carbondale earned the #6 position for general music this year. This large public university is located in the town of Carbondale. About 60% of students finish within six years. About 19 general music degrees were awarded at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the most recent year. General Music graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $46,566 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $23,730.
Get the full general music details for Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Northeastern Illinois University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best general music schools. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. About 22% of students finish within six years. About 20 general music degrees were awarded at Northeastern Illinois University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Northeastern Illinois University generally make around $49,254. Students borrow a median of $17,600 to complete this degree.
Read more about the general music program at Northeastern Illinois University
Columbia College Chicago earned the #8 position for general music this year. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 52%. Columbia College Chicago awarded about 42 general music degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general music degree from Columbia College Chicago earn around $19,943 in the first couple years of their career. Columbia College Chicago graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
See the full general music program report for Columbia College Chicago
Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot for general music this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the town of Macomb. Roughly 45% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 general music degrees were awarded at Western Illinois University in the most recent year. General Music graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of $32,666 early in their careers. Western Illinois University graduates carry a median of $30,000 in student loans.
Read more about the general music program at Western Illinois University
More General Music Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- 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.
