2027 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value music schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in music, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Music Schools
For return on investment in music, no school beat Lewis And Clark Community College this year. Located in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,340, compared with $7,840 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $9,602 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Lewis And Clark Community College generally make around $41,313. That is a strong return on a $9,602 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Eastern Illinois University one of the best values for music. Eastern Illinois University is a large public school located in the town of Charleston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,377, compared with $15,859 for out-of-state students. Music graduates carry a median of $26,300 in student loans. Music graduates of Eastern Illinois University earn a median of $37,163 early in their careers. Set against $26,300 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at Western Illinois University, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,572. Students borrow a median of $30,000 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $32,666. Set against $30,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a great value for students pursuing a degree in music, landing the #4 spot this year. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,334. Students borrow a median of $23,730 to complete the music program here. Music graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $46,566 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Illinois University Carbondale admits about 87% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in music will find it at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Students borrow a median of $24,625 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $25,536. That is a strong return on a $24,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot for music value this year. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,060. Music graduates carry a median of $29,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $41,632. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northern Illinois University admits about 70% of applicants.
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot for music value this year. Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,383, with out-of-state students paying around $22,726. Typical student debt for music graduates is $17,600. Early-career music graduates make about $49,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,092 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for music graduates is $23,500. Early-career music graduates make about $34,079. That is a strong return on a $23,500 median debt. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits about 98% of applicants.
Illinois State University earned the #9 position for value in music this year. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $26,058. Typical student debt for music graduates is $20,500. Music graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $35,863 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
Roosevelt University landed the #10 spot for music value this year. Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,315. Students borrow a median of $27,750 to complete the music program here. Early-career music graduates make about $29,974. That is a strong return on a $27,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Columbia College Chicago ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value music schools. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,088. Typical student debt for music graduates is $27,000. Music graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $19,943 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.
Wheaton College Illinois earned the #12 position for value in music this year. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. In-state tuition and fees average $45,546. Music graduates carry a median of $24,556 in student loans. Music graduates of Wheaton College Illinois earn a median of $26,540 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,556 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Northwestern University placed #13 among the best values for music. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Typical student debt for music graduates is $18,166. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $28,057. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Depaul University landed the #14 spot for music value this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. Students borrow a median of $23,334 to complete the music program here. Music graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $22,885 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
View All Music Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
