Quad

VanderCook College of Music

Chicago, ILQuad's selectivityAccessible
Known forIntimate campusVery small student-faculty ratioTest-optional heavy
WebsiteAdmissionsApplyVisitFinancial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

9 in 10 applicants admitted

VanderCook College of Music admits about 9 in 10 applicants (89%). That puts it in the "Accessible" tier, more selective than 24% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

89%

89%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityAccessible

Applied

38

Admitted

34

Yield

44%

of admits enroll

Applications 46 → 38 since fall 2014 · admit rate 76% → 89%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 76 undergrads, where 26% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

76

undergrads · larger than 5% of colleges

Diversity index

0.67

Pell Grant

26%

below the median

Large cityNo college housing
Undergrads −30% since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Music Teacher Education (95% of graduates). 5 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 96% of colleges. 11% of faculty are full-time. Spends $8,984 a year on instruction per student.

5 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 96% of colleges

Most popular major

Music Teacher Education

95% of 2024–25 graduates

Top-earning major

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

$52.7K four years after completion

Full-time faculty

11%

of faculty

Instruction spending

$9K

per student a year

All majors with search, earnings by major, and faculty

Cost & aid · 2023–24

What it costs

What students pay, price by family income, debt, and who gets grants.

$21.3K

net price per year for first-years with grants

$0$110K$400K+
Full price
$44,613 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Published data end at $110K
use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid
24% · avg $18K
of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)
Federal loans

42%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $47,863 ten years after enrolling, more than at 32% of colleges; 61% graduate within six years.

61%

61%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$47.9K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$27K

≈ $286/month for 10 years

Retention

88%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 80% → 67% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

  • Applications

    46 → 38

  • Selectivity

    76% → 89%

  • Diversity

    Reported

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

  1. 1
    IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  2. 2
    College Scorecard

    U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  3. 3
    IPEDS Admissions survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  4. 4
    IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  5. 5
    IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  6. 6
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  7. 7
    IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12

  8. 8
    College Scorecard Field of Study data

    U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12

  9. 9
    IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  10. 10
    IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  11. 11
    Common Data Set

    Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12

  12. 12
    IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  13. 13
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  14. 14
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  15. 15
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  16. 16
    IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  17. 17
    IPEDS Outcome Measures survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  18. 18
    VanderCook College of Music (2026)

    VanderCook College of Music · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 149639 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything