Specialized school
#20 Best online colleges in AmericaVanderCook College of Music
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $19,780 a year
Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
In Illinois
Academic Excellence
Academic Excellence is computed for four-year colleges with at least 100 undergraduates. Seminaries, graduate-only schools, and two-year colleges are not rated.
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $44,613 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 99 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 54% · Women 46% |
| Total students | 340 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $19,780 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $44,613 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 67% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 63% |
| First-year retention | 88% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $47,863 |
| Admission rate | 89% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $35 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 26% |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Secondary education |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Music.
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 5% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 8% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,008 |
| Students per faculty member | 5 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 11%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $2,308Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)About 7 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 2,711,2262020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ChicagoAbout 3 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 26°F1991–2020 normal, from CHICAGO NORTHERLY IS, IL US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 74°F1991–2020 normal, from CHICAGO NORTHERLY IS, IL US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is VanderCook College of Music’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 31% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does VanderCook College of Music cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $19,780 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into VanderCook College of Music?
- VanderCook College of Music admitted 89% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do VanderCook College of Music’s graduates do?
- 67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $47,863; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 149639
- Carnegie classification: Special focus: other
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission; National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
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Colleges like this one
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