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2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

9 Ranked Colleges
23 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Music Theory & Composition is the 415th most popular major in the country with 1,117 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 27 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 23 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music theory and composition programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music theory and composition 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 Theory & Composition Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 9 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

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 Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

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

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern University

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wheaton College Illinois landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Wheaton College Illinois

#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Olivet Nazarene University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $17,841 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Music Theory & Composition Report

#5

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elmhurst University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $19,703 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Elmhurst

#6

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Roosevelt University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $21,870 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Roosevelt University

#7

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,071 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Columbia College Chicago

#8

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $23,309 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Illinois Wesleyan University

#9

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $28,075 for illinois bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at DePaul 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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