Music Performance is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 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.
No school ranked higher than Belmont University this year for music performance. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Nashville. About 70% of students finish within six years. Belmont University awarded about 18 music performance degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, music performance degree recipients from Belmont University generally make around $27,517. Students borrow a median of $25,988 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in music performance from Belmont University
Lee University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in music performance, landing the #2 spot this year. Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Lee University graduates 63% of students within six years. About 12 music performance degrees were awarded at Lee University in the most recent year. Music Performance graduates of Lee University earn a median of $38,249 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $28,000.
Read more about the music performance program at Lee University
Visible Music College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in music performance, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Memphis, Visible Music College is a small private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 12%. Visible Music College awarded about 23 music performance degrees in the most recent data year. Music Performance graduates of Visible Music College earn a median of $25,461 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $16,250 to complete this degree.
See the full music performance program report for Visible Music College
More Music Performance Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 3 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.
