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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

441 Ranked Colleges
4,124 Degrees Awarded
$29,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,124 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking analyzed 441 colleges that offered a degree in music performance. That schools that top this list have a program in music performance in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Performance Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Music Performance Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance

1
California Jazz Conservatory crest
California Jazz Conservatory
Berkeley, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Jazz Conservatory. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. California Jazz Conservatory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s 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 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%.

Full California Jazz Conservatory Music Performance Report

2
Curtis Institute of Music crest
Curtis Institute of Music
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 441 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Curtis Institute of Music landed the #2 spot on the list. Curtis Institute of Music is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 12 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music Performance at Curtis Institute of Music

3

Out of the 441 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Cleveland Institute of Music landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music Performance at Cleveland Institute of Music

4
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornish College of the Arts. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s music performance degrees 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at Cornish College of the Arts

5
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lawrence University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Lawrence U

6
BCF crest
The Baptist College of Florida
Graceville, Florida

The Baptist College of Florida came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Located in Graceville, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music performance students 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.

Read full report on Music Performance at BCF

7
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #7, Berklee College of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 188 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Read more about Music Performance at Berklee College of Music

8
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Oberlin is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

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

9
Musicians Institute crest
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, California

With a ranking of #9, Musicians Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This small school is located in Hollywood, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s music performance degrees 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 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

10

With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Music Performance at UNCSA

11
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #11, Oklahoma City University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 60 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 OCU Music Performance Report

12
Visible Music College crest
Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee

Visible Music College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Visible Music College is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music Performance at Visible Music College

13
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, The University of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. The University of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 bachelors’s music performance 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%. 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 Music Performance at The University of the Arts

14
Calvary crest
Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri

With a ranking of #14, Calvary University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Calvary University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s 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.

Read full report on Music Performance at Calvary

15
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s music performance degrees 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.

Read full report on Music Performance at Millikin University

16
Arkansas Baptist College crest
Arkansas Baptist College
Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas Baptist College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #16. Arkansas Baptist College is located in Little Rock, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Music Performance at Arkansas Baptist College

17
SUNY Potsdam crest
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, New York

SUNY Potsdam landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. SUNY Potsdam is located in Potsdam, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Full SUNY Potsdam Music Performance Report

18
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 34 students 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

19
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. This small school is located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s music performance degrees 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. 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 Music Performance at Bard

20
MBU crest
Maranatha Baptist University
Watertown, Wisconsin

Maranatha Baptist University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. MBU is a small school located in Watertown, Wisconsin that handed out 6 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at Maranatha Baptist University

21
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music Performance at University of Rochester

22
Welch crest
Welch College
Gallatin, Tennessee

Welch College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Located in Gallatin, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’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.

Full Welch College Music Performance Report

23
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. DePauw is a small school located in Greencastle, Indiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePauw Music Performance Report

24
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 St Olaf College

25
Urshan College crest
Urshan College
Wentzville, Missouri

Urshan College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Urshan College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wentzville, Missouri. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music Performance at Urshan College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s 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
Central State University crest
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio
27
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
28
Mars Hill crest
Mars Hill University
Mars Hill, North Carolina
29
LVC crest
Lebanon Valley College
Annville, Pennsylvania
30
31
RU crest
Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
32
UVF crest
University of Valley Forge
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
33
34
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia
35
Glenville State College crest
Glenville State College
Glenville, West Virginia
36
Concordia College Moorhead crest
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota
37
Alcorn State crest
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State, Mississippi
38
39
Mansfield University crest
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield, Pennsylvania
40
41
McNeese crest
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, Louisiana
42
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
43
Wartburg crest
Wartburg College
Waverly, Iowa
44
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
45
Saint Rose crest
The College of Saint Rose
Albany, New York
46
Huntingdon College crest
Huntingdon College
Montgomery, Alabama
47
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California
48
49
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York
50
Catawba crest
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
52 West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WV
53 Lynn University Boca Raton, FL
54 Toccoa Falls College Toccoa Falls, GA
55 Lee University Cleveland, TN
56 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
57 Notre Dame College Cleveland, OH
58 Stetson University DeLand, FL
59 Westminster College Pennsylvania New Wilmington, PA
60 Furman University Greenville, SC
61 Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR
62 Judson University Elgin, IL
62 Methodist University Fayetteville, NC
64 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
65 Graceland University - Lamoni Lamoni, IA
Rank College Location
66 Fisk University Nashville, TN
67 East Central University Ada, OK

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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