2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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.
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.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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 1.6%, 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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%.
Out of the 105 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #5 spot on the 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Read more about Music at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend U-M.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.
It costs about $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville also took 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 $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
With a ranking of #11, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 65 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Ball State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 19 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Ball State University.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Read more about Music at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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%.
Western Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Grand Valley State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 36 students 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 GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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%.
Indiana State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana State University is a fairly large school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 26 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,896 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend Indiana State.
Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $8,717 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
With a ranking of #22, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
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%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northern Illinois University 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 $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
Read more about Music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the New England Region (With Aid)
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Switch to a Similar Major
General Visual & Performing Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Dance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Dance in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Drama & Theater Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Fine & Studio Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Other Visual Art
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Visual Art in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Design & Applied Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Arts & Media Management
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Arts & Media Management in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Switch to a More Focused Major
General Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Music Performance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Musicology & Ethnomusicology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Musicology & Ethnomusicology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Voice Performance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Voice Performance in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Stringed Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Stringed Instruments in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Music Technology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Technology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Woodwind Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Woodwind Instruments in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Other Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Music History
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music History in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Music Theory & Composition
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Keyboard Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Keyboard Instruments in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Jazz Studies
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Jazz Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Music Pedagogy
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Pedagogy in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Brass Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Brass Instruments in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Percussion Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Percussion Instruments in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Music students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region
Music students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Music Schools
Music students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Music students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Music students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Music students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Music Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Music students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region
Music students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Music students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Music students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Music students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
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.
Featured Performing Arts Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
