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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

29 Ranked Colleges
649 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

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 Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 Illinois, there were 1,073 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,747 and $27,432 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 649 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 29 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#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 Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $16,784 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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

Read more about Music at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 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 #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $17,929 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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 low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Full UChicago Music Report

#3

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $19,147 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Music at EIU

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

NIU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $21,425 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Music at NIU

#5

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 38 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, WIU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $20,181 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Western Illinois University Music Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at UIUC

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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.

SIUE also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $18,928 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SIUE.

Read full report on Music at SIUE

#8

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,299 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Wheaton College Illinois

#9

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Millikin has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $23,486 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Full Millikin University Music Report

#10

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. North Park is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $19,563 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend North Park University.

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.

Read more about Music at North Park

#24 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,698 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Music at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $20,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Music at UIC

#22 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Music at Northeastern Illinois University

#14

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $21,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Music at Olivet Nazarene

#15

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $25,379 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Music Report

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

University of St Francis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $20,629 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full University of St Francis Music Report

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $23,604 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k 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 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,730 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on Music at Augustana College

#19

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $21,979 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Full Dominican University Music Report

#20

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $23,813 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Knox

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $25,778 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Music at North Central College

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. TIU Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Deerfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Trinity International University - Illinois is $23,684 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Music at Trinity International University - Illinois

#23

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $28,169 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Music Report

#24

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $23,695 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Roosevelt University.

Read more about Music at Roosevelt

#25

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Lake Forest College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $30,189 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Music at Lake Forest

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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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