2023 Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Music School for You
Music is the #43 most popular major in the country with 25,910 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 83 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured Music Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
2023 Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the music programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Music Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the Great Lakes Region for music students. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of East Lansing.
Music majors at Michigan State take out an average of $26,582 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $344.
Full Music at Michigan State University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
On average, music graduates from Northwestern take out $17,825 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $431.
Full Music at Northwestern University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a large public school located in the town of Whitewater.
While working on their degree, music majors at UW - Whitewater accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Read full report on Music at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Purdue University - Main Campus is a great place for music students. Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public college with a very large student population.
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DePauw University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the distant town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, music graduates from DePauw take out $26,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Music at DePauw University
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University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Music at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
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Wheaton College Illinois landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton.
On average, music graduates from Wheaton College Illinois take out $25,125 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a large student population.
Music majors at UW - Eau Claire take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Evansville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UE is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evansville.
Full Music at University of Evansville Report
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Eastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their degree, music graduates from EIU carry an average student debtload of $28,535.
Read full report on Music at Eastern Illinois University
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University of Dayton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
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Here are some additional great schools for Music students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | La Crosse, WI |
| 14 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 16 | Taylor University | Upland, IN |
Best Music Colleges by State
Explore the best music colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 734 |
| Ohio | 1,138 |
| Illinois | 1,129 |
| Indiana | 660 |
| Wisconsin | 359 |
More Music Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Music that might interest you.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Rankings in Majors Related to Music
One of 10 majors within the area of study, music has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Music
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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