2023 Best Music Schools
Finding the Best Music School for You
Music is the #43 most popular major in the country with 25,910 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Music Schools ranking. This report analyzed 548 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured Music Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
2023 Best Music Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Music Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools in Music
Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the United States for music students. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Full Music at University of Notre Dame Report
Request Information
The excellent programs at Duke University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best music schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Full Music at Duke University Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Music Schools list. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Easton.
Read full report on Music at Lafayette College
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Music Schools list. Located in the city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Full Music at The Graduate Center, CUNY Report
Request Information
Out of the 548 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, College of the Holy Cross landed the # 5 spot on the list. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Worcester.
Read full report on Music at College of the Holy Cross
Request Information
Emory University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Read full report on Music at Emory University
Request Information
Dartmouth College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Music Schools list. Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Full Music at Dartmouth College Report
Request Information
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #8 on this year’s Best Music Schools list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Music at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
Request Information
Messiah University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Request Information
Virginia Tech ranked #10 on this year’s Best Music Schools list. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
After completing their degree, music graduates from Virginia Tech carry an average student debtload of $27,500.
Full Music at Virginia Tech Report
Request Information
Brandeis University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Music Schools list. Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Read full report on Music at Brandeis University
Request Information
With a ranking of #12, Winona State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Read full report on Music at Winona State University
Request Information
Moravian College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the small city of Bethlehem, Moravian is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, music graduates from Moravian carry an average student debtload of $27,774.
Full Music at Moravian College Report
Request Information
Luther College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that music majors at Luther take out is $27,000.
Request Information
Michigan State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #15 on the list. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the city of East Lansing.
On average, music graduates from Michigan State take out $26,582 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $344.
Request Information
Kansas State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the city of Manhattan, K -State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Music at Kansas State University Report
Request Information
Northwestern University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that music majors at Northwestern take out is $17,825. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $431.
Full Music at Northwestern University Report
Request Information
North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #18 on the list. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.
After completing their degree, music graduates from North Dakota State University carry an average student debtload of $22,500.
Read full report on Music at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
Request Information
Texas A&M University - Kingsville came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools ranking. Texas A&M Kingsville is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Kingsville.
After completing their degree, music graduates from Texas A&M Kingsville carry an average student debtload of $30,962.
Request Information
University of California - Berkeley came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Music at University of California - Berkeley Report
Request Information
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Edinburg, UT Rio Grande Valley is a public school with a very large student population.
Music majors at UT Rio Grande Valley take out an average of $19,018 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request Information
With a ranking of #22, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead, Concordia College Moorhead is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, music majors at Concordia College Moorhead accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Music at Concordia College at Moorhead Report
Request Information
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools ranking. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, music graduates from UT Austin carry an average student debtload of $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $424.
Read full report on Music at The University of Texas at Austin
Request Information
Drake University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.
Request Information
The College of New Jersey landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the large suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Music Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Music Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 548 different United States music schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Music students that almost earned our Best Music Schools award.
Music by Region
View the Best Music Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Music Rankings
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Music that might interest you.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Rankings in Majors Related to Music
One of 10 majors within the area of study, music has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Music
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.