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

105 Ranked Colleges
2,336 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Music is the 40th most popular major in the country with 27,047 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,639 and had an average of $28,653 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,025 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,684 and $28,070 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,336 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 105 colleges that offered a degree in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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 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 students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music 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 a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 98 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

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. 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%.

Full Northwestern Music Report

Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 81 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Music Report

#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UChicago Music Report

#4

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 0.7% 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%.

Full Notre Dame Music Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Music Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 51 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

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

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 140 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at IU Bloomington

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Music Report

#9

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oberlin College Music Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Read full report on Music at UW - Whitewater

#11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Music Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music 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 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 more about Music at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 44 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Eau Claire Music Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Green Bay Music Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at UW - Stevens Point

With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at IUPUI

#18

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Music Report

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full Ball State Music Report

#20

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #20, Beloit College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beloit is located in Beloit, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit is $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.9%, 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%.

Read full report on Music at Beloit

#21

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

With a ranking of #23, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#25

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Music at Indiana University - South Bend

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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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