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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Conducting

62 Ranked Colleges
153 Degrees Awarded
$35,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 153 people earned their degree in conducting, making the major the 878th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major” ranking looked at 62 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in conducting. That schools that top this list have a program in conducting in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for conducting students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Conducting

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The New England Conservatory of Music. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s conducting students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full The New England Conservatory of Music Conducting Report

2
Houghton crest
Houghton College
Houghton, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Houghton College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Houghton is located in Houghton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s conducting degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Conducting at Houghton College

3
McMurray University crest
McMurry University
Abilene, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend McMurry University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. This small school is located in Abilene, Texas, and it awarded 1 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

Full McMurray University Conducting Report

4
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Juilliard School. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 1 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Juilliard Conducting Report

5
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Manhattan School of Music. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Manhattan School of Music is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s conducting degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Manhattan School of Music Conducting Report

6
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking, coming in at #6. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conducting degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Oklahoma City University Conducting Report

7
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

Andrews University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and it awarded 3 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Conducting at Andrews

8
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York

Ithaca College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conducting degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Conducting at Ithaca College

9
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winchester, Virginia. It awarded 3 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Shenandoah Conducting Report

10
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conducting degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Conducting at University of Rochester

11
Winthrop crest
Winthrop University
Rock Hill, South Carolina

Winthrop University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified ’s conducting students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Conducting at Winthrop

12
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Rider University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Rider is a small school located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey that handed out 2 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Conducting at Rider

13
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conducting degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Conducting at Michigan State University

14

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 15 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Conducting at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

15
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Berklee College of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 2 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Conducting at Berklee College of Music

16

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s conducting students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Conducting at UMKC

17
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s conducting students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Yale Conducting Report

18
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Conducting Report

19
Baylor crest
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Baylor University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. Baylor is a large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 4 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Conducting at Baylor University

20

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 3 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Conducting at SMU

21
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

With a ranking of #21, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. TCU is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s conducting degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full TCU Conducting Report

22
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s conducting degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Conducting at Catholic University of America

23
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major list. CWU is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 2 ’s conducting degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Conducting at CWU

24
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s conducting degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Full Wichita State University Conducting Report

25

University of Southern Maine did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Conducting Major ranking, coming in at #25. University of Southern Maine is a public institution located in Portland, Maine. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Conducting at University of Southern Maine

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Notes and References

References

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