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2025 Best Music Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
292 Master's Degrees
$30,094 Avg Early-Career Salary
Music is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #36 most popular master's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 292 master's degrees in music during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Music School for Your Master's Degree

Best Music Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The music master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality music program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

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 for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for music students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Music Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 the Best Music Master's Degree Schools in Illinois.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Music in Illinois

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for music students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Music

1

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in music. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.

After graduation, music master's recipients usually earn around $21,290 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in music from Northwestern University

2

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a master's degree in music. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the music program state that they receive average early career earnings of $23,379.

More information about a master’s in music from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

DePaul University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in music. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, music master's recipients typically make an average of $26,615 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in music from DePaul University

4

Roosevelt University is a good choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in music. Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

After graduating, music master's recipients generally earn an average of $29,974 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in music from Roosevelt University

5
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in music from Columbia College Chicago

6

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those music students who get their master's degree from Illinois State University earn $8,779 more than the typical music student.

More information about a master’s in music from Illinois State University

7

NIU is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb.

Music master's degree recipients from Northern Illinois University earn a boost of approximately $10,340 over the typical earnings of music majors.

More information about a master’s in music from Northern Illinois University

8
14 Annual Graduates

EIU is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Charleston.More information about a master’s in music from Eastern Illinois University

9
17 Annual Graduates

WIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Macomb.More information about a master’s in music from Western Illinois University

10
6 Annual Graduates

SIUC is a large public university located in the town of Carbondale.More information about a master’s in music from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Best Music Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 206
Ohio 207 360
Indiana 191 188
Wisconsin 173 34

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Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Music Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Music 126
Music Performance 75
Voice Performance 27
Stringed Instruments 24
Other Music 13
Music Theory & Composition 9
Keyboard Instruments 9
Conducting 3
Jazz Studies 3
Woodwind Instruments 2

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 278
Arts & Media Management 145
Drama & Theater Arts 121
Design & Applied Arts 82
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 62
General Visual & Performing Arts 10
Dance 5

Notes and References

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