2026 Best Value Other Music Schools in Illinois
[Other Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-other/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other music education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other music schools.
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2026 Best Value Other Music Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other music degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Other Music Schools
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign tops our 2026 list of the best value other music schools in Illinois. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Other Music graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans. Early-career other music graduates make about $25,536. That is a strong return on a $24,625 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in other music will find it at Columbia College Chicago, which ranked #2. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $34,088 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the other music program here. Early-career other music graduates make about $19,943. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Wheaton College Illinois one of the best values for other music. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,546. Other Music graduates carry a median of $24,556 in student loans. Other Music graduates of Wheaton College Illinois earn a median of $26,540 early in their careers. Set against $24,556 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wheaton College Illinois admits about 87% of applicants.
Northwestern University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other music, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Typical student debt for other music graduates is $18,166. Other Music graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. Set against $18,166 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Students looking for strong value in other music will find it at Depaul University, which ranked #5. 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. Other Music graduates carry a median of $23,334 in student loans. Early-career other music graduates make about $22,885. That is a strong return on a $23,334 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
More Other Music Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
