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 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 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.
University Of Arizona tops our 2026 ranking of the best music performance schools. University Of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson. University Of Arizona graduates 68% of students within six years. There were roughly 12 music performance students who graduated with this degree at University Of Arizona in the most recent data year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $30,157 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $14,800 to complete this degree.
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Arizona State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in music performance, ranking #2. Arizona State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 84 music performance degrees were awarded at Arizona State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $26,653 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,504 to complete this degree.
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A rank of #3 makes Northern Arizona University one of the top schools for music performance. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 61%. There were roughly 18 music performance students who graduated with this degree at Northern Arizona University in the most recent data year. Music Performance graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of $47,056 early in their careers. Northern Arizona University graduates carry a median of $21,645 in student loans.
More information about a degree in music performance from Northern Arizona University
A rank of #4 makes Chandler Gilbert Community College one of the top schools for music performance. Located in the city of Chandler, Chandler Gilbert Community College is a large public university. There were roughly 11 music performance students who graduated with this degree at Chandler Gilbert Community College in the most recent data year. Music Performance graduates of Chandler Gilbert Community College earn a median of $46,943 early in their careers. Chandler Gilbert Community College graduates carry a median of $10,447 in student loans.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 13 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.
