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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

513 Ranked Colleges
7,335 Degrees Awarded
$31,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 7,335 people earned their degree in music performance, making the major the 116th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking looked at 513 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music performance. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in music performance.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The music performance school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Music Performance

1
California Jazz Conservatory crest
California Jazz Conservatory
Berkeley, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Jazz Conservatory. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Located in Berkeley, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full California Jazz Conservatory Music Performance Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cleveland Institute of Music. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. This small school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 87 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at Cleveland Institute of Music

3
Curtis Institute of Music crest
Curtis Institute of Music
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Curtis Institute of Music. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Music Performance at Curtis Institute of Music

4
Musicians Institute crest
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Musicians Institute. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. Located in Hollywood, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 121 diplomas to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Music Performance at Musicians Institute

5
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Berklee College of Music. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 292 ’s music performance 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Music Performance at Berklee College of Music

6
BCF crest
The Baptist College of Florida
Graceville, Florida

The Baptist College of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Graceville, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full BCF Music Performance Report

7

University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. UNCSA is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at UNCSA

8
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington

Cornish College of the Arts came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Cornish College of the Arts is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 16 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at Cornish College of the Arts

9
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Lawrence University is a small school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 41 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Full Lawrence U Music Performance Report

10
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Oklahoma City University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 80 ’s music performance degrees 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%. 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 Music Performance at Oklahoma City University

11
Longy crest
Longy School of Music of Bard College
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Longy School of Music of Bard College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music Performance at Longy

12
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 67 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Oberlin College Music Performance Report

13
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 51 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bard Music Performance Report

14
Calvary crest
Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri

Calvary University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s music performance students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Music Performance at Calvary University

15
Visible Music College crest
Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #15, Visible Music College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This small school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 27 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Visible Music College Music Performance Report

16
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. The University of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 ’s music performance 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UArts Music Performance Report

17
World Mission University crest
World Mission University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #17, World Mission University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full World Mission University Music Performance Report

18
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Messiah University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Messiah is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music Performance at Messiah

19
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s music performance students 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.

Read full report on Music Performance at Millikin University

20
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

With a ranking of #20, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. University of Rochester is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 176 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Music Performance at University of Rochester

21
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. SUNY Fredonia is a public institution located in Fredonia, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 SUNY Fredonia Music Performance Report

22
Arkansas Baptist College crest
Arkansas Baptist College
Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas Baptist College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #22. Arkansas Baptist College is located in Little Rock, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Music Performance at Arkansas Baptist College

23
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

With a ranking of #23, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This small school is located in Valencia, California, and it awarded 13 ’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 California Institute of the Arts Music Performance Report

24
SUNY Potsdam crest
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, New York

SUNY Potsdam ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Potsdam, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

Full SUNY Potsdam Music Performance Report

25
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #25. Shenandoah University is located in Winchester, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music Performance at Shenandoah

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
MBU crest
Maranatha Baptist University
Watertown, Wisconsin
27
Welch crest
Welch College
Gallatin, Tennessee
28
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
29
Lynn University Fighting Knights crest
Lynn University
Boca Raton, Florida
30
Salem crest
Salem College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
31
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana
32
33
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
34
35
Urshan College crest
Urshan College
Wentzville, Missouri
36
Central State University crest
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio
37
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
38
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York
39
CSU crest
Columbus State University
Columbus, Georgia
40
Mars Hill crest
Mars Hill University
Mars Hill, North Carolina
41
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
42
LVC crest
Lebanon Valley College
Annville, Pennsylvania
43
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York
44
45
RU crest
Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
46
47
UVF crest
University of Valley Forge
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
48
49
50
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
52 Glenville State College Glenville, WV
53 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
54 University of Mobile Mobile, AL
55 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
56 Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS
57 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
58 University of North Texas Denton, TX
59 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
60 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
61 Lee University Cleveland, TN
62 Wartburg College Waverly, IA
63 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
64 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
65 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
Rank College Location
66 The College of Saint Rose Albany, NY
67 Huntingdon College Montgomery, AL
68 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
69 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
70 Purchase College Purchase, NY
71 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
72 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
73 Catawba College Salisbury, NC
74 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
75 West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WV
76 Toccoa Falls College Toccoa Falls, GA
77 Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY

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Notes and References

References

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