2022 Best Value Colleges for Music in Illinois (With Aid)
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 30 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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More Ways to Rank Music Schools
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 “Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois music students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music in Illinois (With Aid)
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend ECC is $4,185 for illinois music students with aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 141 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for illinois music students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
EIU also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Music students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also took the #20 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois music students with aid.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois music students with aid.
Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 71 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Music students with aid.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $14,423 for illinois music students with aid per year to attend SIUE.
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois music students with aid list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Music students with aid.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Music students with aid.
North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $19,170 for Illinois Music students with aid.
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.
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 160 students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Illinois Music students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. 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.
Illinois State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 67 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Music students with aid.
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%.
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for Illinois Music students with aid.
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.
University of St Francis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois music students with aid list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Music students with aid.
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%.
Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois music students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%. 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.
Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois music students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Dominican University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 1 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $19,268 for Illinois Music students with aid.
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 came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for illinois music students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Deerfield, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend TIU Illinois is $21,204 for illinois music students with aid.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Music at Trinity International University - Illinois
Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Bradley University 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 also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $25,634 for Illinois Music students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
North Central College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s music degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for illinois music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $26,426 for illinois music students with aid.
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%.
With a ranking of #24, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Knox is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $22,292 for Illinois Music students with aid per year to attend Knox.
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. 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%.
Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $22,749 for Illinois Music students with aid.
- Best Value Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
- Best Value Colleges for Music (With Aid)
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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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