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Best Music Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Music Schools in Illinois

19 Colleges
$26,572 Avg Salary
$23,882 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Music School for You

Music is the #33 most popular major in Illinois with 1,129 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Music Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Music Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for music majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Music Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in Illinois for music students. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that music majors at Northwestern take out is $17,825. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $431.

Full Music at Northwestern University Report

Out of the 19 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Wheaton College Illinois landed the # 2 spot on the list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Wheaton.

The average amount in student loans that music majors at Wheaton College Illinois take out is $25,125.

Read full report on Music at Wheaton College Illinois

#3

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

Out of the 19 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, music majors at EIU accumulate an average of around $28,535 in student debt.

Full Music at Eastern Illinois University Report

#4

North Central College

Naperville, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Central College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Music Schools in Illinois list. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Naperville.

Read full report on Music at North Central College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Music Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

On average, music graduates from WIU take out $30,017 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Music at Western Illinois University Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, music graduates from UIUC carry an average student debtload of $22,484. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $613.

Read full report on Music at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools in Illinois ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bloomington.

Full Music at Illinois Wesleyan University Report

Illinois State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #8 on the list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.

Music majors at Illinois State take out an average of $22,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#9

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

Bradley University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Music at Bradley University Report

#10

Millikin University

Decatur, IL

Millikin University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Music Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Decatur, Millikin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, music graduates from Millikin carry an average student debtload of $26,814.

Full Music at Millikin University Report

Best Music Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Music Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 734
Ohio 1,138
Indiana 660
Wisconsin 359

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 19 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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