VanderCook College of Music

Chicago, Illinois · Private nonprofit · Predominantly bachelor's · City: Large

Official websiteNet price calculatorAccreditor: Higher Learning Commission

The average annual net price for first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving federal aid is $21,556. 27% of first-time, full-time students completed within 150% of normal time. Students who received federal aid had median earnings of $54,590 ten years after entering.

Average net price
$21,556
per year Verified data
Completion rate
27%
within 150% of normal time Verified data
Median earnings
$54,590
10 years after entry Verified data
Median debt
Data unavailable
graduates, federal loans Data unavailable

Cost and net price

In-state tuition and fees$31,840
Out-of-state tuition and fees$31,840
Average cost of attendance$45,228
Books and supplies$1,200
Room and board, on campus$14,402
Average net price, all aided students$21,556
Average net price, family income $0 to $30,000$14,737
Average net price, family income over $110,000$27,348

Net price is the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time undergraduates who receive federal aid. Your price depends on your family finances; use the school's net price calculator for an estimate. Tuition: AcadYr 2025-26, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26. Net price and cost of attendance: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26.

Admissions and enrollment

Admission rate
89%
SAT range, middle 50% (reading plus math)
Data unavailable
ACT composite range, middle 50%
Data unavailable
Undergraduate enrollment
76
Graduate enrollment
216
Students receiving Pell grants
38%
Student to faculty ratio
5 to 1

Admission rate and enrollment: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25. SAT and ACT ranges come from IPEDS and may not reflect test-optional policies.

Graduation, earnings, and debt

Completion within 150% of normal time27%
Completion within normal time13%
First-year retention (full-time)88%
Median federal debt, graduatesSuppressed for privacy
Typical monthly payment on that debt (10 years)Suppressed for privacy
Median Parent PLUS debt, completersSuppressed for privacy
Share earning more than a typical high school graduate, 6 years after entry77%
4 years after completion$55,437
6 years after entry$48,070
8 years after entry$53,661
10 years after entry$54,590
Median earnings of former students who received federal aid and are working and not enrolled. Ten years after entry the median is $54,590; the middle half earned $27,810 to $70,990. Cohorts differ by measure; see definitions below.
Measure definitions and cohorts
  • Median earnings of students working and not enrolled 10 years after entry (MD_EARN_WNE_P10): Treasury AY2011-12, AY2012-13 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
  • Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled 1 year after completing (MD_EARN_WNE_1YR): Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
  • Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled 4 years after completing (MD_EARN_WNE_4YR): Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
  • The median debt for students who have completed (GRAD_DEBT_MDN): NSLDS FY2024, FY2025 pooled cohorts
  • Completion rate for first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions (150% of expected time to completion) (C150_4): Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
  • Average net price for Title IV institutions (public institutions) (NPT4_PUB): AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Institution-level earnings cover students who received federal financial aid, including students who did not complete. Debt figures include federal loans only and exclude private loans.

Programs and program-level outcomes

Highest early earnings among programs at VanderCook College of Music

Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled one year after completing, by program. Programs with too few graduates are suppressed for privacy and not shown.

4 programs reported. Program earnings are for graduates of this school's program, which is different from the wages of everyone working in a related occupation.

Undergraduate certificate (1)
Program (CIP)Graduates (recent year)Median earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
CIP 13.13 · No credentials fully online
0Suppressed for privacySuppressed for privacy
Bachelor's degree (2)
Program (CIP)Graduates (recent year)Median earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Music
CIP 50.09 · No credentials fully online
0Suppressed for privacySuppressed for privacy
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
CIP 13.13 · No credentials fully online
13$51,129Suppressed for privacy
Master's degree (1)
Program (CIP)Graduates (recent year)Median earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
CIP 13.13 · Some credentials fully online
37Suppressed for privacySuppressed for privacy
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
UNITID 149639, OPEID 001778. Data unavailable means the Department of Education did not publish the figure or suppressed it for privacy. Report a data issue.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.