Music Performance degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. 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 20 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for music performance students pursuing a degree.
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If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the music performance degrees they offer, see the list below.
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in music performance. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. About 50 music performance degrees were awarded at Northwestern University in the most recent year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $28,057 in their early career. Northwestern University graduates carry a median of $18,166 in student loans.
See the full music performance program report for Northwestern University
A rank of #2 makes Illinois State University one of the top schools for music performance. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. About 64% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 20 music performance students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their music performance degree from Illinois State University earn around $35,863 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete this degree.
Read more about the music performance program at Illinois State University
Students looking for a strong music performance program will find one at Wheaton College Illinois, which ranked #3. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. About 10 music performance degrees were awarded at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $26,540 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,556.
Read more about the music performance program at Wheaton College Illinois
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in music performance, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. About 13 music performance degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $25,536 in their early career. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans.
See the full music performance program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Depaul University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in music performance, ranking #5. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. Depaul University awarded about 61 music performance degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their music performance degree from Depaul University earn around $22,885 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,334.
Read more about the music performance program at Depaul University
Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot for music performance this year. This large public university is located in the suburb of Dekalb. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. There were roughly 62 music performance students who graduated with this degree at Northern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their music performance degree from Northern Illinois University earn around $41,632 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $29,000.
Get the full music performance details for Northern Illinois University
Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot for music performance this year. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. Roughly 45% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 32 music performance degrees were awarded at Western Illinois University in the most recent year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $32,666 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $30,000.
Read more about the music performance program at Western Illinois University
More Music Performance Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 20 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.
