2027 Best Value Jazz Studies Schools in Illinois
[Jazz Studies](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/jazz-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong jazz studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value jazz studies schools.
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2027 Best Value Jazz Studies Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in jazz studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Jazz Studies Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for jazz studies in Illinois. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,625 to complete the jazz studies program here. Early-career jazz studies graduates make about $25,536. Set against $24,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in jazz studies will find it at Roosevelt University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,315. Students borrow a median of $27,750 to complete the jazz studies program here. Jazz Studies graduates of Roosevelt University earn a median of $29,974 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in jazz studies will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for jazz studies graduates is $18,166. Early-career jazz studies graduates make about $28,057. Set against $18,166 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in jazz studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Jazz Studies graduates carry a median of $23,334 in student loans. Jazz Studies graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $22,885 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,334 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
