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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

29 Ranked Colleges
649 Degrees Awarded
$22,138 Avg Salary
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Music is the 40th most popular major in the country with 27,047 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 649 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Music Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $7,934 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Chicago Music Report

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,351 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,560 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Music at EIU

#5

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wheaton College Illinois landed the #5 spot on the list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Music Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Illinois University Music Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,912 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full WIU Music Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Music Report

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State

#24 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full SIUC Music Report

#12

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Millikin also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $20,390 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read more about Music at Millikin

#13

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Park is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

North Park also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,813 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Park.

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.

Read more about Music at North Park

#14

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $17,841 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Olivet Nazarene

#22 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Music at Northeastern Illinois University

#16

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $21,453 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Augustana Music Report

#17

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Music at University of Saint Francis

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Lake Forest College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $24,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Lake Forest College

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $19,703 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Music at Elmhurst University

#20

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Knox is $19,653 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. 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.

Full Knox College Music Report

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Music at North Central College

#22

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $22,865 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Music at Bradley

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,582 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dominican University.

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.

Full Dominican U Music Report

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Deerfield, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,441 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Trinity International University - Illinois.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at TIU Illinois

#25

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $21,870 for illinois bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Roosevelt Music Report

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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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