2022 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois 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 Illinois, there were 1,073 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,747 and $27,432 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and 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.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 160 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 141 students in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,464 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. ECC is a public institution located in Elgin, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,717 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ECC.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
EIU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $11,316 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 40 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k list, SIUE has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $14,526 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #8, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 71 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $15,861 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
UIC also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,185 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at University of Illinois at Chicago
Illinois State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
Wheaton College Illinois landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
With a ranking of #13, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern Illinois University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,229 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of St Francis.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Knox is $19,186 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,390 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
North Park University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Park is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Park, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park is $17,270 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
Millikin University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 31 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,692 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
Lake Forest College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $19,152 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Forest.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Elmhurst University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Elmhurst also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $17,837 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,232 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Dominican University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican University is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $17,586 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
Augustana College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,249 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 15 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois Wesleyan also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan is $19,857 for Illinois Music students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
North Central College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $20,128 for illinois music students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
- Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
- Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k)
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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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