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VanderCook College of Music
Admission at VanderCook College of Music is close to open (89.5%), which shifts the homework to outcomes: check the $47,863 median earnings below before the application.
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VanderCook College of Music sits in Chicago proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
26.3% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. Most of its 76 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 88.2% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
The rest of this page puts figures to that sketch.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, VanderCook College of Music received 37 applications and admitted 36 (97.3%), with 17 enrolling.
How VanderCook College of Music compares
| VanderCook College of Music | Illinois median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 89.5% | 77% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $30,910 | $31,360 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $47,863 | $58,572 | $53,781 |
At $47,863, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($58,572). Look at VanderCook College of Music's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $30,910 regardless of where you're from. At VanderCook College of Music, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 76 — VanderCook College of Music is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
66.7% graduate within six years. Roughly 33% don't — ask a VanderCook College of Music tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Frequently asked questions
What is VanderCook College of Music's acceptance rate?
97.3% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 36 admitted from 37 applicants.
How much does VanderCook College of Music cost?
At VanderCook College of Music, published tuition is $30,910 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is VanderCook College of Music's ceiling, not a quote.
What do VanderCook College of Music graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $47,863 ten years after enrolling.
Similar colleges in Illinois
- Trinity International University-Illinois — 100% admitted
- Wheaton College — 87.4% admitted
- Taylor Business Institute — 91.2% admitted
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville — 97.5% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.