2023 Best Music Schools in New York
Finding the Best Music School for You
With 2,324 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, music is the #35 most popular major in New York.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Music Schools in New York ranking. This report analyzed 52 schools in New York 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 New York
The colleges and universities below are the best for music majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Music Schools
Our analysis found The Graduate Center, CUNY to be the best school for music students who want to pursue a degree in New York. The Graduate Center is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of New York.
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The excellent programs at Skidmore College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best music schools in New York. Skidmore is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Columbia University in the City of New York is a great place for music students. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Vassar College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Music Schools in New York list. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Poughkeepsie.
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Out of the 52 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the # 5 spot on the list. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
On average, music graduates from NYU take out $21,750 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $705, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #6, Syracuse University did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Syracuse.
Music majors at Syracuse take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Ithaca College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the suburb of Ithaca, Ithaca is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that music majors at Ithaca take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $495, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Binghamton University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools in New York ranking. Located in the midsize suburb of Vestal, Binghamton University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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With a ranking of #9, SUNY Plattsburgh did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Located in the distant town of Plattsburgh, SUNY Plattsburgh is a public college with a small student population.
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Fordham University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #10 on the list. Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bronx.
Request InformationBest Music Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Music Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 960 |
| Maryland | 393 |
| New Jersey | 593 |
| District of Columbia | 117 |
| Delaware | 43 |
More Music Rankings in New York
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.
Music Related Rankings by Major
Music is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.