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Private nonprofit · Urban campus · verified rankings · federal data

VanderCook College of Music

Students comparing VanderCook College of Music on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Chicago, Illinois76 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 81Private nonprofitSmall enrollmentUrban campus

The short answer

VanderCook College of Music: Niche ranks it #2109 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 76 undergraduates, admits 89.5% of applicants, and posts a 66.7% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $30,910; aid recipients pay $19,780 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $47,863.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
89.5%

Above the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$19,780

56% below the $44,918 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$47,863

Below the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
66.7%

Above the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

Below the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedVanderCook College of Music did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where VanderCook College ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National universities, liberal arts, regional and specialty listsNot ranked by this source
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) DollarsNot ranked by this source
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.Not ranked by this source
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)#2109of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About VanderCook College

VanderCook College of Music is a private nonprofit institution in Chicago, Illinois. Federal data show 88.2% first-year retention and a 4:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $19,780 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $44,918 sticker cost against $19,780 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing VanderCook College of Music on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

Tuition & fees
$30,910

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Undergraduates on Pell grants
26.3%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardShare of undergraduates, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$14,008

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $44,918 a year, but the average family pays $19,780 — a 56% difference. 26.3% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run VanderCook College's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    4:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    88.2%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    76

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    VanderCook College: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $30,910 and on-campus room and board is $14,008, for a published total of $44,918 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $19,780.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 89.5%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

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