2023 Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Music School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, music was ranked #43 in the country. In fact 25,910 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 126 schools in the Southeast Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences 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 Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for music majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Music Schools
Our analysis found Duke University to be the best school for music students who want to pursue a degree in the Southeast Region . Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham.
Full Music at Duke University Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Emory University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region list. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, music graduates from Virginia Tech take out $27,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 126 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Valencia College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, music graduates from Valencia College take out $10,953 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best music schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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James Madison University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.
The average amount in student loans that music majors at JMU take out is $21,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $297, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Vanderbilt University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.
After completing their degree, music graduates from Vanderbilt carry an average student debtload of $19,500.
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Harding University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the distant town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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University of Florida came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. UF is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville.
Music majors at UF take out an average of $16,608 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Arkansas did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, music graduates from UARK carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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John Tyler Community College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #12 on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
On average, music graduates from UNC Chapel Hill take out $18,408 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report
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The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. UT Knoxville is a fairly large public school located in the city of Knoxville.
After completing their degree, music graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debtload of $26,000.
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Auburn University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the small city of Auburn, Auburn is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Music at Auburn University Report
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Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for music students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Music at Tulane University of Louisiana
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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #16 on this year’s Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region list. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large public school located in the city of Chattanooga.
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With a ranking of #17, Tennessee Technological University did quite well on this year’s best schools for music students. Tennessee Tech University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Cookeville.
Music majors at Tennessee Tech University take out an average of $18,950 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Kentucky landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best music programs. Located in the city of Lexington, UK is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, music graduates from UK carry an average student debtload of $17,319.
Full Music at University of Kentucky Report
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Music Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 20 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 21 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN |
| 22 | University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 24 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 25 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN |
Best Music Colleges by State
Explore the best music colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 472 |
| Virginia | 632 |
| North Carolina | 511 |
| Florida | 1,223 |
| Tennessee | 804 |
| Kentucky | 284 |
| South Carolina | 204 |
| Louisiana | 315 |
| Arkansas | 184 |
| Alabama | 276 |
| Mississippi | 182 |
| West Virginia | 93 |
More Music Rankings in the Southeast Region
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.
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