Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Music Performance

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

56 Ranked Colleges
864 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Music Performance is the 103rd most popular major in the country with 7,957 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,680 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 864 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 56 colleges that offer a degree in music performance. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music performance programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music performance program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Performance Schools

The music performance 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 Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Music Performance at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 53 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full U-M Music Performance Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Performance at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 UIUC Music Performance Report

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at Indiana University - Bloomington

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Performance at Michigan State

#7

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

Oberlin College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin College is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 98 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oberlin has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Music Performance at Oberlin College

#24 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Music Performance at Ohio State

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#22 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read more about Music Performance at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#10

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.

Read full report on Music Performance at Ball State University

#11

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Indiana University - South Bend is a public institution located in South Bend, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read full report on Music Performance at Indiana University - South Bend

#12

Lawrence University

Appleton, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Lawrence University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Appleton, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lawrence U, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lawrence U is $14,137 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.

Read more about Music Performance at Lawrence University

#13

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,281 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Illinois University Music Performance Report

#14

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #14, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State is $9,422 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music Performance at Indiana State

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 38 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $13,942 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on Music Performance at Western Illinois University

#16

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.

Full Oakland Music Performance Report

#17

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Music Performance Report

#18

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Music Performance at Illinois State

#19

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music Performance at Central Michigan University

#20

The College of Wooster

Wooster, Ohio
#19 in overall quality

The College of Wooster did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Wooster, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

Wooster College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The College of Wooster is $14,942 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wooster College Music Performance Report

With a ranking of #21, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Music Performance Report

#22

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Music Performance Report

#23

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $9,069 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music Performance at Youngstown State University

#15 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 15 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,759 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music Performance at Miami University - Oxford

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Flint is $7,955 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music performance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music Performance at UM Flint

Switch to a Similar Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You