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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Music

1,374 Ranked Colleges
25,910 Degrees Awarded
$36,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Music Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Music Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Music is the 43rd most popular major in the country with 25,910 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Music Major” ranking looked at 1,374 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in music.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Music Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Music Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for music students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Music

1
California Jazz Conservatory crest
California Jazz Conservatory
Berkeley, California

Out of the 1,374 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Jazz Conservatory landed the #1 spot on the list. California Jazz Conservatory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at California Jazz Conservatory

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The New England Conservatory of Music. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 241 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at The New England Conservatory of Music

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cleveland Institute of Music. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 93 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Music at Cleveland Institute of Music

4
LACM crest
Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, California

Out of the 1,374 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Los Angeles College of Music landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles College of Music is a private for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full LACM Music Report

5
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

Out of the 1,374 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Manhattan School of Music landed the #5 spot on the list. Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 252 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at Manhattan School of Music

6
SFCM crest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Conservatory of Music ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco Conservatory of Music Music Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Located in San Juan, , this small public school handed out 44 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Music at Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music

8
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

The Juilliard School ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 208 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Juilliard Music Report

9
Longy crest
Longy School of Music of Bard College
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Longy School of Music of Bard College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 83 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Longy School of Music of Bard College Music Report

10
Curtis Institute of Music crest
Curtis Institute of Music
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Curtis Institute of Music landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at Curtis Institute of Music

11

International College of Broadcasting came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. International College of Broadcasting is a small school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 23 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full International College of Broadcasting Music Report

12
LA Film School crest
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, California

Los Angeles Film School landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. LA Film School is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Hollywood, California. It awarded 705 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Full LA Film School Music Report

13
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

Berklee College of Music came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 692 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Music at Berklee College of Music

14

Atlanta Institute of Music and Media came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. AIMM is a private for-profit institution located in Duluth, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music at AIMM

15
Musicians Institute crest
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, California

Musicians Institute landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. Located in Hollywood, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 143 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Musicians Institute Music Report

16
Seattle Film Institute crest
Seattle Film Institute
Seattle, Washington

Seattle Film Institute ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Seattle Film Institute is a private for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Music at Seattle Film Institute

17
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

With a ranking of #17, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 61 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at CalArts

18
Five Towns College crest
Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York

Five Towns College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Five Towns College is a small private for-profit school situated in Dix Hills, New York. It awarded 23 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Five Towns College Music Report

19
BCF crest
The Baptist College of Florida
Graceville, Florida

The Baptist College of Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. Graceville, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Music at BCF

20
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at Lawrence University

21

University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNCSA Music Report

22
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 107 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at Oberlin

23
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington

Cornish College of the Arts came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 16 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music at Cornish College of the Arts

24
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Major list. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full OCU Music Report

25
Bethesda crest
Bethesda University
Anaheim, California

Bethesda University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Major ranking, coming in at #25. Anaheim, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Bethesda University Music Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Music Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
World Mission University crest
World Mission University
Los Angeles, California
27
UVF crest
University of Valley Forge
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
28
29
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York
30
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York
31
UHart crest
University of Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut
32
Calvary crest
Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri
33
Mansfield University crest
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield, Pennsylvania
34
Bennington crest
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont
35
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa
36
Visible Music College crest
Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee
37
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York
38
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York
39
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
40
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
41
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
42
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois
43
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois
44
45
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
46
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York
47
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
48
VCFA crest
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Montpelier, Vermont
49
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
50
SUNY Potsdam crest
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Music Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Belmont University Nashville, TN
52 Northwest College Powell, WY
53 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
54 Toccoa Falls College Toccoa Falls, GA
54 Fisk University Nashville, TN
56 Edward Waters College Jacksonville, FL
57 Holy Names University Oakland, CA
58 Ithaca College Ithaca, NY
59 Capital University Columbus, OH
60 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
61 Brevard College Brevard, NC
62 Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, VA
63 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
64 Talladega College Talladega, AL
65 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
Rank College Location
66 Goshen College Goshen, IN
67 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL
68 Arkansas Baptist College Little Rock, AR
69 Bethel College - North Newton North Newton, KS
70 Nyack College Nyack, NY
71 Houghton College Houghton, NY
72 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
73 Dillard University New Orleans, LA
74 Cogswell College San Jose, CA
75 University of Mobile Mobile, AL
76 Valley City State University Valley City, ND
77 Rice University Houston, TX
78 SUNY Schenectady County Community College Schenectady, NY
79 Cairn University Langhorne, PA
80 Greenville University Greenville, IL
81 Snow College Ephraim, UT
82 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
83 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA
84 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
85 Brewton - Parker College Mount Vernon, GA
86 The Master’s University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA
87 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
88 Yale University New Haven, CT
89 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
90 Lane College Jackson, TN
Rank College Location
90 Allen University Columbia, SC
92 Stetson University DeLand, FL
93 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
94 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
95 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
96 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
97 University of North Texas Denton, TX
98 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
99 Principia College Elsah, IL
100 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
101 Southwestern Adventist University Keene, TX
102 Northwest University Kirkland, WA
103 Wittenberg University Springfield, OH
104 DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA
105 Lee University Cleveland, TN
106 University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL
107 Washington College Chestertown, MD
108 Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, TX
109 Northern Vermont University Johnson, VT
110 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
111 Carthage College Kenosha, WI
112 Bethune - Cookman University Daytona Beach, FL
113 Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI
114 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
115 Wesleyan College Macon, GA
Rank College Location
116 Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC
117 Mills College Oakland, CA
118 Lynn University Boca Raton, FL
119 Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY
120 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
121 Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL
122 Welch College Gallatin, TN
123 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
124 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
125 Point University West Point, GA
126 Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX
127 Albright College Reading, PA
128 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
129 University of Maine at Augusta Augusta, ME
130 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
131 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
132 Central State University Wilberforce, OH
133 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
134 Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR
135 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
136 Hampshire College Amherst, MA
137 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
138 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
139 Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Indiana, PA
140 Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX
Rank College Location
141 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
141 Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA
143 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
144 New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ
145 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
146 Claflin University Orangeburg, SC
147 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
148 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
149 Eureka College Eureka, IL
150 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
151 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
152 Lamar State College - Port Arthur Port Arthur, TX
153 Texas College Tyler, TX
154 Bob Jones University Greenville, SC
155 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
156 Greensboro College Greensboro, NC
156 Furman University Greenville, SC
158 Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA
159 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
160 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
161 Grace Christian University Wyoming, MI
162 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
163 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
164 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - San German San German, PR
165 Simpson College Indianola, IA
Rank College Location
166 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
167 Urshan College Wentzville, MO
167 Miles College Fairfield, AL
169 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
170 Benedictine College Atchison, KS
170 LaGrange College Lagrange, GA
172 Corban University Salem, OR
173 University of Arkansas at Monticello Monticello, AR
174 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA
175 Eastern University Saint Davids, PA
176 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
177 Shorter University Rome, GA
178 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
179 Nazareth College Rochester, NY
180 Asbury University Wilmore, KY
181 West Texas A&M University Canyon, TX
182 Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI
183 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
184 Washington Adventist University Takoma Park, MD
185 Morehead State University Morehead, KY
186 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
187 Huston - Tillotson University Austin, TX
188 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
189 Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, FL
190 Bethel University - Mishawaka Mishawaka, IN
Rank College Location
191 Le Moyne - Owen College Memphis, TN
192 Colorado State University - Pueblo Pueblo, CO
193 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
194 Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY
195 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL
196 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
197 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
198 Berea College Berea, KY
199 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
200 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
201 Biola University La Mirada, CA
202 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
203 Wartburg College Waverly, IA
204 Rochester University Rochester Hills, MI
205 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
206 Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Portales, NM
207 Morgan State University Baltimore, MD

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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