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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region

179 Ranked Colleges
2,247 Degrees Awarded
$27,705 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2021-2022, 25,860 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. In , music graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $27,123 and had an average of $27,532 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,842 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,923 and $29,360 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,247 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,415 and $23,858 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 179 colleges that offered a degree in music. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in music.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Cleveland Institute of Music landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cleveland Institute of Music Music Report

2
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lawrence University landed the #2 spot on the list. Appleton, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 57 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music at Lawrence U

3
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Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oberlin College landed the #3 spot on the list. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 140 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 91%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Oberlin Music Report

4
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Millikin University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Millikin

5
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wheaton College Illinois landed the #5 spot on the list. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music at Wheaton College Illinois

6
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Capital University
Columbus, Ohio

With a ranking of #6, Capital University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Capital University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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 full report on Music at Capital

7
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 46 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Columbia

8
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Goshen College
Goshen, Indiana

Goshen College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Goshen, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Goshen College

9

Baldwin Wallace University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Berea, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Baldwin Wallace University

10
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

Greenville University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Greenville is located in Greenville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Greenville Music Report

11
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, DePauw University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePauw University Music Report

12
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Principia College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Elsah, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music at Principia

13
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Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

Wittenberg University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wittenberg University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Ohio. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Wittenberg University

14
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Maranatha Baptist University
Watertown, Wisconsin

Maranatha Baptist University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. MBU is located in Watertown, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Maranatha Baptist University

15
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 Illinois Wesleyan University Music Report

16
Central State University crest
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio

With a ranking of #16, Central State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Central State University is a public institution located in Wilberforce, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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 Central State University Music Report

17
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

Eureka College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eureka, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Eureka College Music Report

18

Grace Christian University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grace is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wyoming, Michigan. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grace Christian University Music Report

19
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Butler University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Butler University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Butler

20
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Roosevelt Music Report

21
WLC crest
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WLC is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 5 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 full report on Music at WLC

22

Bethel University - Mishawaka landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bethel University is a small school located in Mishawaka, Indiana that handed out 0 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Bethel University - Mishawaka Music Report

23
Carthage crest
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #23, Carthage College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Carthage is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 16 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at Carthage

24
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Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Rochester University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rochester University is a small school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 0 bachelors’s music degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at RU

25
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at North Central College

Rest of the Best 27 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Earlham crest
Earlham College
Richmond, IN

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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