by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 70 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,369 bachelor's degrees in music to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of music for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality music program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in music. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.
Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from Northwestern University receive $10,494 more than the average music grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Northwestern University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in music. U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the music program make about $21,629 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in music has to check out University of Notre Dame. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Notre Dame
Michigan State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population.
Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from Michigan State University receive $7,496 more than the standard music student.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Michigan State University
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the fringe town of Oberlin, Oberlin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After graduation, music bachelor's recipients generally make an average of $20,910 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Oberlin College
Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the music program make around $13,918 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Indiana University - Bloomington
Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Wheaton.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program state that they receive average early career income of $28,924.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Wheaton College Illinois
UC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Cincinnati.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program state that they receive average early career wages of $23,357.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Cincinnati - Main CampusThese are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 12 | Cleveland Institute of Music | Cleveland, OH |
| 13 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 14 | DePauw University | Greencastle, IN |
| 15 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 16 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
| 17 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
Explore the best music schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Music | 1,010 |
| Music Performance | 833 |
| Other Music | 97 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 88 |
| Music Technology | 75 |
| Voice Performance | 70 |
| Jazz Studies | 69 |
| Music Pedagogy | 62 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 24 |
| Music History | 17 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 3,674 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 3,230 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 2,083 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 1,290 |
| Arts & Media Management | 394 |
| Dance | 315 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 190 |
| Other Visual Art | 92 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 23 |
