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2024 Best Music Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina

6 Colleges in North Carolina
88 Master's Degrees
$21,939 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in music, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #36 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 88 master's degrees in music during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Music School for Your Master's Degree

Best Music Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina The music master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality music program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Music Master's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Music in North Carolina

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in music.

Top North Carolina Schools for a Master's in Music

1
5 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you wish to pursue a master's degree in music. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.More information about a master’s in music from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
8 Annual Graduates

Duke University is a wonderful choice for individuals interested in a master's degree in music. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in music from Duke University

2

It's hard to beat University of North Carolina School of the Arts if you want to pursue a master's degree in music. UNCSA is a small public university located in the medium-sized city of Winston Salem.

Master's students who receive their degree from the music program make about $21,115 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in music from University of North Carolina School of the Arts

3

It is hard to beat University of North Carolina at Greensboro if you want to pursue a master's degree in music. UNC Greensboro is a large public university located in the large city of Greensboro.

Those music students who get their master's degree from University of North Carolina at Greensboro make $3,056 more than the average music graduate.

More information about a master’s in music from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

4
20 Annual Graduates

East Carolina University is a great decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in music. ECU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Greenville.More information about a master’s in music from East Carolina University

5

Located in the distant town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduating, music master's recipients typically make an average of $19,708 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in music from Appalachian State University

6
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Durham, North Carolina Central University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in music from North Carolina Central University

Best Music Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Music Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 208 194
Georgia 190 93
Virginia 182 127
Tennessee 166 92
Alabama 151 26
Kentucky 147 49
Louisiana 147 87
South Carolina 146 28
Mississippi 145 54
Arkansas 121 44
West Virginia 112 16

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Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Music Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Music Performance 52
General Music 28
Musicology & Ethnomusicology 5
Jazz Studies 2
Music Theory & Composition 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 55
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 30
Drama & Theater Arts 26
Design & Applied Arts 22
Dance 10

Notes and References

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