2023 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
73
Ranked Colleges
4,060
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Music is the 43rd most popular major in the country with 25,910 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,060 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,923 and $25,259 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 73 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 156 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $5,849 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Music at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 199 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,481 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 374 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,369 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.
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 undergrad 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 full report on Music at IU Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 69 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at UW - Madison
Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 full report on Music at UIUC
University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 21 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $14,020 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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 undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Music at Notre Dame
With a ranking of #7, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 19 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $12,008 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at Oakland
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ohio State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,273 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Ohio State
Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,557 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Michigan State
Sinclair Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,283 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.
Read full report on Music at Sinclair Community College
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 48 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,737 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Music Report
Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $18,373 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Wheaton College Illinois Music Report
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,560 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.
Read more about Music at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Oberlin College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oberlin College is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 107 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Oberlin also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,401 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oberlin College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Music at Oberlin
DePauw University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. DePauw University is a small school located in Greencastle, Indiana that handed out 18 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
DePauw also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw University is $22,316 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full DePauw University Music Report
Ball State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 43 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,158 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at Ball State
Eastern Illinois University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,675 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Music at EIU
With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,226 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Music Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,198 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UIC is $14,105 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full UIC Music Report
Indiana University - South Bend ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $10,840 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Indiana University - South Bend Music Report
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 37 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $15,277 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 full report on Music at Grand Valley State University
With a ranking of #23, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 47 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,612 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Music at Wayne State University
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,720 for Great Lakes Region Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan University Music Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,528 for great lakes region music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - River Falls.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Music Report
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