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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

105 Ranked Colleges
2,336 Degrees Awarded
$24,989 Avg Salary
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 105 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music 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 program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

The music 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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,452 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at Northwestern

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $17,768 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 University of Notre Dame 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $7,934 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Music at UChicago

Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $13,227 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 51 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about 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 $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 140 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Music Report

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,304 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at UW - La Crosse

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 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 $48-$75k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,941 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW - Whitewater Music Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,152 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW - Platteville Music Report

#11

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Beloit is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $10,769 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 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 full report on Music at Beloit College

#12

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full EIU Music Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $14,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music at UW - Eau Claire

#14

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,584 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#15

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $15,775 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 at GVSU

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

It costs about $13,982 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

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

Read more about Music at Ohio State

#17

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,165 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW - Stevens Point Music Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW Oshkosh Music Report

#19

Lawrence University

Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lawrence U, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lawrence U is $17,791 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Music at Lawrence University

#20

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 full report on Music at Wheaton College Illinois

#21

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music at NIU

With a ranking of #22, 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 $48-$75k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SIUE Music Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

Read more about Music at IUPUI

#24

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at Western Illinois University

#25

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - 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 full report on Music at UW - River Falls

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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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