Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region

83 Colleges
$27,923 Avg Salary
$25,259 Avg Student Debt

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.

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

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our analysis found University of Notre Dame to be the best school for music students who want to pursue a degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Full Music at University of Notre Dame Report

#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Michigan State University is a great place for music students. 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.

Read More…

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Out of the 83 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 3 spot on the 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.

Read More…

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a great place for music students. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school located in the distant 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

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

Out of the 83 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Music at Purdue University - Main Campus Report

#6

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

With a ranking of #6, DePauw University did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Located in the town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, music graduates from DePauw take out $26,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #7 on this year’s Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a very large student population.

Full Music at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report

With a ranking of #8, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Wheaton.

On average, music graduates from Wheaton College Illinois take out $25,125 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the 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.

Read More…

#10

University of Evansville

Evansville, IN

With a ranking of #10, University of Evansville did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. UE is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evansville.

Full Music at University of Evansville Report

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

With a ranking of #11, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, music graduates from EIU carry an average student debtload of $28,535.

Read More…

#12

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH

University of Dayton ranked #12 on this year’s Best Music Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Music at University of Dayton Report

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 schools 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

One of 10 majors within the area of study, music has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.