2026 Best General Music Schools in Rhode Island

General Music is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general music students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best General Music Schools in Rhode Island

Best Schools for General Music in Rhode Island

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall general music education in Rhode Island.

Top Schools in General Music

1

Brown University
Providence, RI

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

12 General Music Degrees Awarded

$62,820 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Brown University, our #1 school for general music. Set in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Brown University graduates 96% of students within six years. Brown University awarded about 12 general music degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general music program make about $62,820 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $13,025 to complete this degree. See the full general music program report for Brown University

2

University Of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

17 General Music Degrees Awarded

$52,821 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong general music program will find one at University Of Rhode Island, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. About 17 general music degrees were awarded at University Of Rhode Island in the most recent year. Students who receive their general music degree from University Of Rhode Island earn around $52,821 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,125. More information about a degree in general music from University Of Rhode Island

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.

• 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 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.