2027 Best Value General Music Schools in Illinois
[General Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/general-music/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for general music students.
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2027 Best Value General Music Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Music Schools
Leading the list is Lewis And Clark Community College, our #1 best value for general music in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,340, while out-of-state students pay about $7,840. General Music graduates carry a median of $9,602 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general 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.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Eastern Illinois University earned it the #2 place for general music. Located in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,377, while out-of-state students pay about $15,859. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $26,300. Early-career general music graduates make about $37,163. Set against $26,300 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general music schools. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $23,730. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale generally make around $46,566. Set against $23,730 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Illinois University earned it the #4 place for general music. Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Macomb. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,572. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $30,000. Early-career general music graduates make about $32,666. That is a strong return on a $30,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 71%.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value general music schools. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $24,625. Early-career general 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 general music value this year. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,060. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the general music program here. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $41,632. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. Northern Illinois University admits about 70% of applicants.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #7 for value in general music this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,383, compared with $22,726 for out-of-state students. General Music graduates carry a median of $17,600 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Northeastern Illinois University generally make around $49,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #8 for value in general music this year. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. Students borrow a median of $23,500 to complete the general music program here. General Music graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $34,079 early in their careers. Set against $23,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
Illinois State University came in at #9 for value in general music this year. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,058. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $20,500. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Illinois State University generally make around $35,863. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Roosevelt University earned the #10 position for value in general music this year. Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $21,315. Typical student debt for general music graduates is $27,750. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Roosevelt University generally make around $29,974. Set against $27,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Columbia College Chicago placed #11 among the best values for general music. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $34,088 in tuition and fees. General Music graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General 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. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value general music schools. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,546. Students borrow a median of $24,556 to complete the general music program here. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Wheaton College Illinois generally make around $26,540. Set against $24,556 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wheaton College Illinois admits about 87% of applicants.
Northwestern University earned the #13 position for value in general music this year. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. General Music graduates carry a median of $18,166 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general music degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $28,057. Set against $18,166 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University earned the #14 position for value in general music this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. General Music graduates carry a median of $23,334 in student loans. General Music graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $22,885 early in their careers. Set against $23,334 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
More General Music Rankings
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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.
