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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

104 Ranked Colleges
2,336 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 27,047 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 40th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,639 and had an average of $28,653 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,025 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,684 and $28,070 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,336 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 104 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

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 Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 98 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $3,995 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. 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%.

Read full report on Music at Northwestern

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 17 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,609 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Notre Dame Music Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Music Report

Out of the 104 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 full report on Music at UW - Madison

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,800 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Full UChicago Music Report

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #18 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Music Report

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read full report on Music at UIUC

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Read full report on Music at UW - Whitewater

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 12 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,795 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#10

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,828 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#11

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $12,930 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Platteville Music Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

With a ranking of #13, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Ohio State

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music at UW - Stevens Point

#15

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Music Report

#16

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Music Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $6,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#18

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,628 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.

Read more about Music at Beloit College

#19

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Music Report

#20

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Oberlin also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oberlin College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Music at Oberlin

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Music Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $13,114 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW Oshkosh Music Report

#23

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - South Bend is $5,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Music Report

With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,018 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read more about Music at UW - Parkside

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 19 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $10,487 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music at Ball State University

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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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