Music Performance degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for music performance students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
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.
Leading the list is University Of Arkansas, our #1 school for music performance. University Of Arkansas is a very large public school located in the city of Fayetteville. University Of Arkansas graduates 70% of students within six years. About 33 music performance degrees were awarded at University Of Arkansas in the most recent year. Music Performance graduates of University Of Arkansas earn a median of $38,811 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full music performance program report for University Of Arkansas
University Of Central Arkansas came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best music performance schools. Set in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public institution. University Of Central Arkansas graduates 53% of students within six years. About 31 music performance degrees were awarded at University Of Central Arkansas in the most recent year. Music Performance graduates of University Of Central Arkansas earn a median of $36,465 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $29,139.
Read more about the music performance program at University Of Central Arkansas
More Music Performance Rankings
View All Music Performance Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 2 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.
