2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Music
321
Ranked Colleges
5,778
Degrees Awarded
$27,036
Avg Salary
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s” 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 5,778 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 321 colleges that offered a degree in music. To top this list, a school must have a successful music program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Music Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree music students.
Top 26 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Music
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 146 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music at IU Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 133 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 UC Music Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Manhattan School of Music. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. Manhattan School of Music is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 132 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.
Read full report on Music at Manhattan School of Music
Out of the 321 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 129 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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 New York University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The New England Conservatory of Music. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 122 diplomas to qualified masters’s music students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The New England Conservatory of Music Music Report
Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 121 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Music at Yale
The Juilliard School landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 105 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full Juilliard Music Report
The New School landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. The New School is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 104 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Music at The New School
Berklee College of Music did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 103 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%. 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.
Read more about Music at Berklee College of Music
Johns Hopkins University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 97%.
Full Johns Hopkins Music Report
Michigan State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 82 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read more about Music at Michigan State
With a ranking of #12, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 75 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at U-M
University of North Texas landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. 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.
Read more about Music at University of North Texas
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 70 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
University of Southern California came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified masters’s music students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read more about Music at University of Southern California
With a ranking of #16, Longy School of Music of Bard College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. Longy School of Music of Bard College is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at Longy
University of Rochester landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 66 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Music at University of Rochester
San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Music at SFCM
Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #19. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 58 masters’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
Read more about Music at Temple
Northwestern University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 58 masters’s music 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Music at Northwestern
With a ranking of #21, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music at Roosevelt
California State University - Northridge came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full CSUN Music Report
University of Hartford ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. University of Hartford is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in West Hartford, Connecticut. It awarded 56 masters’s music degrees 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 University of Hartford
University of Miami landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. U Miami is located in Coral Gables, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 masters’s music degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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.
Read full report on Music at University of Miami
Rice University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s ranking. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 53 masters’s music 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%.
Read full report on Music at Rice
With a ranking of #25, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s list. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at Colorado State
Rest of the Best 49 in Most Well Attended Music Major for a Master’s
Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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