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2022 Best Value Colleges for Music Performance (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

17 Ranked Colleges
274 Degrees Awarded
$16,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 7,957 people earned their degree in music performance, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 274 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music performance. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music performance programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music performance program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Performance Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Colleges for Music Performance (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $3,995 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern Music Performance Report

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Music Performance at UIUC

#3

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 38 ’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $14,526 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Music Performance at WIU

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 40 ’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,861 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Music Performance at NIU

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,999 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Illinois State

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Music Performance at UIC

#7

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.

Read more about Music Performance at Wheaton College Illinois

#8

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

North Park also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $17,270 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Music Performance Report

#9

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $15,390 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Music Performance at Olivet Nazarene

#10

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $17,692 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Millikin

#11

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst Music Performance Report

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Bradley

#13

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k list, Augustana has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $16,249 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Music Performance at Augustana

#14

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 5 ’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $19,857 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan University Music Performance Report

#15

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1 ’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $27,397 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Music Performance at Columbia College Chicago

#16

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $20,330 for Illinois Music Performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music Performance at Roosevelt University

#17

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 59 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Music Performance Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $25,842 for illinois music performance students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul University Music Performance Report

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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