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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
279 Degrees Awarded
$14,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

General Music is the 68th most popular major in the country with 11,573 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 530 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 279 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in general music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general music programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general music program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about General 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 General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%.

Full University of Chicago General Music Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Music at EIU

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Music at Northern Illinois University

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,470 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on General Music at Illinois State

#20 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at UIC

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. The 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 full report on General Music at Wheaton College Illinois

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC General Music Report

#11

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Millikin University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $17,656 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Music at Millikin University

#21 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Music at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Park is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Park has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $17,808 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 North Park General Music Report

#14

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $18,192 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about General Music at Lake Forest

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Elmhurst

#16

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 more about General Music at Bradley

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at University of St Francis

#18

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Olivet Nazarene University

#19

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $20,355 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Augustana General Music Report

#20

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan is $18,570 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Illinois Wesleyan

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,828 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox College.

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%. 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.

Read more about General Music at Knox

#22

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $18,889 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full North Central General Music Report

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,060 for illinois bachelor’s degree general music students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 General Music at Dominican University

#25 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Trinity International University - 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.

TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity International University - Illinois is $17,405 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full TIU Illinois General Music Report

#25

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $27,120 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Music students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Music at Columbia

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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