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2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance

139 Ranked Colleges
2,066 Degrees Awarded
$35,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master's

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 “Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Music Performance is the 116th most popular major in the country with 7,335 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,066 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 139 colleges that offer a degree in music performance. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular music performance programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree music performance students.

1

Out of the 139 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #1 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 masters’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

2

Out of the 139 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 112 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Music Performance at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

3
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Berklee College of Music. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. Berklee College of Music is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 88 masters’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Berklee College of Music Music Performance Report

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 139 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 71 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Music Performance at Johns Hopkins University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 54 masters’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6

With a ranking of #6, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 50 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Music Performance at UNT

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 masters’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at University of Colorado Boulder

7

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 47 masters’s music performance 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music Performance at ASU - Tempe

9

With a ranking of #9, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music Performance at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

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

University of Rochester ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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. 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 more about Music Performance at University of Rochester

10
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Messiah University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 42 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Music Performance at Messiah

12
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 40 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Florida State University

12
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. New York University is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 40 masters’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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Music Performance at New York University

14

Cleveland Institute of Music ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 38 masters’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. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Cleveland Institute of Music Music Performance Report

15
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking. Temple is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 36 masters’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 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%.

Read more about Music Performance at Temple

16

With a ranking of #16, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and it awarded 35 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 Louisiana State University

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Music Performance at Michigan State

17
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Music Performance at Georgia State University

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

Bard College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking. Bard is located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 masters’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

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 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%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Bard

20
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Boston U is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 30 masters’s music performance 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Boston U

21
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 97%. 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.

Read full report on Music Performance at Northwestern

22

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 28 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music Performance at UNC Greensboro

22
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 28 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 DePaul Music Performance Report

22
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. New School University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 28 masters’s music performance degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full New School University Music Performance Report

22
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Performance Major for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 28 masters’s music performance degrees 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 Music Performance Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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