2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Southwest Region
32
Ranked Colleges
636
Degrees Awarded
$28,206
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 2,896 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,339 and $23,625 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 636 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,204 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 32 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.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region”.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Southwest Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma City University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. OCU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 26 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Music at OCU
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #2 spot on the list. Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Rice Music Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Christian University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at TCU
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Oklahoma landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Central Oklahoma is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Central Oklahoma Music Report
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #5 spot on the list. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UNT Music Report
Southern Methodist University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 29 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at SMU
With a ranking of #7, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
Full SFASU Music Report
With a ranking of #8, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full West Texas A&M University Music Report
Baylor University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Baylor is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waco, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 masters’s degrees 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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Baylor University Music Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 33 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Music at University of Oklahoma
Hardin - Simmons University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Abilene, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s music students in 2020-2021.
Full Hardin - Simmons University Music Report
Texas Tech University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 33 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music at Texas Tech University
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Music at UTEP
With a ranking of #14, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 16 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music at UNM
With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full UT Austin Music Report
Texas A&M University - Commerce landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Commerce, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Music at Texas A&M University - Commerce
With a ranking of #17, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 52 degrees to qualified masters’s music students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe Music Report
Sam Houston State University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. SHSU is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music at Sam Houston State University
University of Arizona ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Music at University of Arizona
Texas State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music at Texas State University
University of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 21 masters’s music degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Houston Music Report
With a ranking of #22, Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. Texas A&M University - Kingsville is a medium-sized school located in Kingsville, Texas that handed out 3 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Texas A&M Kingsville Music Report
With a ranking of #23, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 10 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music at OSU
New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 5 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music at New Mexico State University - Main Campus
Northern Arizona University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Northern Arizona University
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