2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois 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 Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 27,047 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 40th most popular in the United States. 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 Illinois, there were 1,073 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,747 and $27,432 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in 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 Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 141 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend ECC is $2,384 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,350 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.
NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Western Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
UIC also took the #20 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Music 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%.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois 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 26 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Illinois State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.
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%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 19 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,658 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.
With a ranking of #13, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 31 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,656 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millikin University.
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.
With a ranking of #14, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,816 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Music at Northeastern Illinois University
Lake Forest College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $18,192 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Elmhurst University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also took the #17 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
North Park University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Park is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Park has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Park is $17,808 for Illinois 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.
With a ranking of #18, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,205 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
University of St Francis came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,806 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.
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%.
Augustana College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 15 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois Wesleyan also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $18,570 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Knox College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Knox is $16,828 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
North Central College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Central College is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
North Central also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $18,889 for illinois music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
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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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