Best colleges for Music in Illinois
Ranked by graduate earnings
Northern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University and Northwestern University are the top bachelor's Music programs in Illinois by graduate earnings. Northern Illinois University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $42,830, College Scorecard. Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and DePaul University award the most Music degrees in Illinois: 161, 121 and 108 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 49 Illinois colleges offer Music and award 948 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Music program falls under the field of Visual and Performing Arts, focusing on the study and performance of music. It caters to students interested in various aspects of music, including performance, theory, and history, allowing them…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,830 | 68 | 49% | — | $29,000 |
| 2 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston Public · Bachelor's degree | $37,163 | 36 | 47% | — | $26,300 |
| 3 | Northwestern University Evanston Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $34,823 | 161 | 95% | $14,799 | $18,166 |
| 4 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,079 | 22 | 57% | — | $23,500 |
| 5 | Illinois State University Normal Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,853 | 53 | 65% | — | $20,500 |
| 6 | Western Illinois University Macomb Public · Bachelor's degree | $32,666 | 37 | 45% | — | $30,000 |
| 7 | Wheaton College Wheaton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $26,540 | 23 | 85% | $23,461 | $24,556 |
| 8 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $19,943 | 76 | 52% | $28,087 | $27,000 |
| 9 | DePaul University Chicago Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $19,155 | 108 | 68% | $28,141 | $23,334 |
| 10 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign Public · Bachelor's degree | $13,128 | 121 | 85% | — | $24,625 |
Colleges awarding the most Music degrees in Illinois
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University Evanston Private not-for-profit | 161 | $34,823 |
| 2 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign Public | 121 | $13,128 |
| 3 | DePaul University Chicago Private not-for-profit | 108 | $19,155 |
| 4 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago Private not-for-profit | 76 | $19,943 |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb Public | 68 | $42,830 |
| 6 | Illinois State University Normal Public | 53 | $32,853 |
| 7 | Roosevelt University Chicago Private not-for-profit | 50 | Not reported |
| 8 | Western Illinois University Macomb Public | 37 | $32,666 |
| 9 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston Public | 36 | $37,163 |
| 10 | Wheaton College Wheaton Private not-for-profit | 23 | $26,540 |
ShowHide the other 39 Illinois colleges offering Music
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public | 22 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public | 20 |
| Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey | Public | 19 |
| Southern Illinois University - Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | 19 |
| Millikin University | Decatur | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | Public | 9 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College | Chicago | Public | 8 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Public | 8 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 7 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Knox College | Galesburg | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | Public | 5 |
| Eureka College | Eureka | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Judson University | Elgin | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Moraine Valley Community College | Palos Hills | Public | 4 |
| North Park University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| John Wood Community College | Quincy | Public | 3 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Monmouth College | Monmouth | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| North Central College | Naperville | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Augustana College | Rock Island | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Concordia University - Chicago | River Forest | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Elgin Community College | Elgin | Public | 2 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Principia College | Elsah | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Blackburn College | Carlinville | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Chicago State University | Chicago | Public | 1 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College | Chicago | Public | 1 |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | Public | 1 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | Public | 1 |
| University of St Francis | Joliet | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| VanderCook College of Music | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Musicians and Singers (SOC 27-2042).
Top skills
What Musicians and Singers earn in Illinois
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Music programs in Illinois.
Which Illinois colleges award the most Music degrees?+
Northwestern University (161 graduates a year), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (121 graduates a year) and DePaul University (108 graduates a year) award the most Music degrees in Illinois, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 49 Illinois colleges offer Music.
What is the best college for Music in Illinois?+
By graduate earnings, Northern Illinois University leads among bachelor's Music programs in Illinois, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $42,830, College Scorecard. Eastern Illinois University and Northwestern University follow. By degrees awarded, Northwestern University is the largest, with 161 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Music program in Illinois has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Northern Illinois University tops the list at $42,830. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
What is the focus of the Music program?+
The Music program falls under the field of Visual and Performing Arts, focusing on the study and performance of music. It caters to students interested in various aspects of music, including performance, theory, and history, allowing them…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop speaking, active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Musicians and Singers?+
The national job outlook is about +1.1% growth with around 19,400 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A No formal educational credential is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card