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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

179 Ranked Colleges
2,369 Degrees Awarded
$27,705 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,369 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 179 colleges that offered a degree in music. That schools that top this list have a program in music in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Cleveland Institute of Music landed the #1 spot on the list. Cleveland Institute of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Cleveland Institute of Music Music Report

2
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lawrence University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region. Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate 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 full report on Music at Lawrence U

3
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oberlin College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Oberlin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 100 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

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 2.0% 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 more about Music at Oberlin

4
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Millikin University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Music at Millikin University

5
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Music Report

6
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Capital University
Columbus, Ohio

Capital University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Capital

7
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Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music at Columbia College Chicago

8
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Goshen College
Goshen, Indiana

Goshen College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Goshen College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Goshen, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Goshen

9

Baldwin Wallace University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Baldwin Wallace College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berea, Ohio. It awarded 39 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Baldwin Wallace College

10
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Greenville University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Greenville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Read full report on Music at Greenville

11
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePauw is a small school located in Greencastle, Indiana that handed out 18 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 89%.

Read more about Music at DePauw University

12
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Principia College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Principia College is located in Elsah, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Music at Principia College

13
Wittenberg crest
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

Wittenberg University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Springfield, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Full Wittenberg University Music Report

14
MBU crest
Maranatha Baptist University
Watertown, Wisconsin

Maranatha Baptist University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Maranatha Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Watertown, Wisconsin. It awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at MBU

15
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music at Illinois Wesleyan

16
Central State University crest
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio

Central State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Wilberforce, Ohio, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

Full Central State University Music Report

17
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Eureka College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Eureka College is located in Eureka, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Music at Eureka College

18
Grace crest
Grace Christian University
Wyoming, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Grace Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wyoming, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Full Grace Music Report

19
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Butler University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Music at Butler

20
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Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music at Roosevelt

21
WLC crest
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lutheran College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WLC is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

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 WLC Music Report

22
Bethel University crest
Bethel University - Mishawaka
Mishawaka, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Bethel University - Mishawaka did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Mishawaka, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bethel University Music Report

23
Carthage crest
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #23, Carthage College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Carthage is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carthage College Music Report

24
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Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Rochester University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Music at RU

25
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2020-2021.

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 North Central

Rest of the Best 27 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Earlham crest
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana

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Notes and References

References

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