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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

105 Ranked Colleges
2,336 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 $75-$110k” 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) 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 $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 98 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,784 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Music at Northwestern University

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #2 spot on the 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $24,392 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Music at University of Notre Dame

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, U-M has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $18,039 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Beloit College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit is $12,123 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Music at Beloit College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $17,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UW - Whitewater Music Report

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 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 $16,573 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 86%.

Read more about Music at UW - La Crosse

#7

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $17,414 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UW - Platteville Music Report

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,604 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Read more about Music at UW - Green Bay

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and 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 estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $18,196 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Music at UW - Eau Claire

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $16,425 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Music Report

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, UChicago has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,929 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UChicago.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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%.

Read full report on Music at UChicago

#12

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on Music at Eastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Read more about Music at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#14

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. River Falls, 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.

It costs about $16,138 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Music Report

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 37 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $21,425 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Northern Illinois University Music Report

#16

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $20,113 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Grand Valley State University Music Report

#17

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students 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. It costs about $18,951 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at Indiana University - Bloomington

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $14,993 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Music at UW - Parkside

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and 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. It costs about $21,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at UW - Madison

#20

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 38 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,181 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on Music at Western Illinois University

#21

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,241 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Music Report

#22

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University 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 $75-$110k ranking. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $15,424 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Oakland University Music Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,952 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend IUPUI.

Read full report on Music at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#24

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a public institution located in South Bend, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,440 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read full report on Music at Indiana University - South Bend

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 51 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,998 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UIUC.

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

Read full report on Music at UIUC

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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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