2027 Best Value Other Music Schools in Illinois

[Other Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other music education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for other music students.
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2027 Best Value Other Music Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Other Music Schools
For return on investment in other music, no school beat University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $24,625. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $25,536. Set against $24,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in other music will find it at Columbia College Chicago, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $34,088. Other Music graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career other music graduates make about $19,943. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value other music schools. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $45,546 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,556 to complete the other music program here. Soon after graduation, other music degree recipients from Wheaton College Illinois generally make around $26,540. Set against $24,556 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wheaton College Illinois admits about 87% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in other music will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Students borrow a median of $18,166 to complete the other music program here. Early-career other music graduates make about $78,551. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other music, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $23,334 to complete the other music program here. Other Music graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $22,885 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,334 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
More Other Music Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.