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2026 Best Value Music Management Schools in Illinois

[Music Management](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/arts-media-management/music-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for music management students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Music Management Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Music Management Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music management degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Music Management Schools

1

Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL

$34,088 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,000 Avg Student Debt

$42,195 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Columbia College Chicago, our #1 best value for music management in Illinois. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,088. Typical student debt for music management graduates is $26,000. Music Management graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $23,844 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.

2

Depaul University
Chicago, IL

$45,405 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,310 Avg Student Debt

$68,751 Median Earnings (10yr)

Depaul University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value music management schools. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Music Management graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music management degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $55,226. Set against $25,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.

View All Music Management Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.