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2023 Most Well Attended Music Major

1,374 Ranked Colleges
25,910 Degrees Awarded
$37,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Music Major

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” 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.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Music Major” ranking, we looked at 1,374 colleges that offer 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.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Most Well Attended Music Major” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.

Most Well Attended Music Major

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

1
LA Film School crest
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles Film School. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. Hollywood, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 705 students in 2020-2021.

Full Los Angeles Film School Music Report

2
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Berklee College of Music. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. Berklee College of Music is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 692 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 324 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNT Music Report

4

Out of the 1,374 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 374 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Music Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 253 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, 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%.

Read more about Music at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

6
Full Sail University crest
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

Full Sail University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major ranking. Full Sail University is a private for-profit institution located in Winter Park, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 244 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Full Sail University Music Report

7
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

With a ranking of #7, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. University of Rochester is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 239 ’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. 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%.

Read more about Music at University of Rochester

8
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

Manhattan School of Music landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major ranking. Manhattan School of Music is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 252 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read more about Music at Manhattan School of Music

9

The New England Conservatory of Music ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major list. The New England Conservatory of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 241 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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.

Full The New England Conservatory of Music Music Report

10
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major 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 236 ’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.

Full The New School Music Report

11
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Music at Michigan State

12
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

The Juilliard School landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Juilliard

12

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 199 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.

Read full report on Music at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

14
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #14, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. NYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 197 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full NYU Music Report

15
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

With a ranking of #15, University of Miami did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. University of Miami is a fairly large school located in Coral Gables, Florida that handed out 192 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 91%.

Read more about Music at University of Miami

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 174 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at California State University - Northridge

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 171 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Music at Florida State

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 182 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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. 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 Southern California

19
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Music at Northwestern University

20
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 176 degrees to qualified ’s music students 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. 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 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 Johns Hopkins

21
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

With a ranking of #21, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. Middle Tennessee State University is a large school located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that handed out 148 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Music Report

22

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Major ranking. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 ’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Music at ASU - Tempe

23
UHart crest
University of Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut

University of Hartford ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Major list. Located in West Hartford, Connecticut, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 140 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

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 UHart

24

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 140 students 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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Music Report

24
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

With a ranking of #24, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Major list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 141 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Read more about Music at Yale University

Rest of the Best 52 in Most Well Attended Music Major

Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
30
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
31
32
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
33
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
34
35
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, Tennessee
36
37
38
SFCM crest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California
39
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
40
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio
41
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
42
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
43
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
44
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
44
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
46
47
48
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas
48
48
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
48
48
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Music Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
53Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL
53Rice UniversityHouston, TX
55Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ
55Cleveland Institute of MusicCleveland, OH
57University of IowaIowa City, IA
58George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
59Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
60University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
60Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
62Musicians InstituteHollywood, CA
63DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
63Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ
63University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
66James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
67Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC
RankCollegeLocation
68Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
68Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY
70University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
70University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK
72San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
72Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
72Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL
72University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
72Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
77University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
77University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
79West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
79Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
81University of KansasLawrence, KS
81Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
81Longy School of Music of Bard CollegeCambridge, MA
81Shenandoah UniversityWinchester, VA
81University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS
86The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
87Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
87The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
87Los Angeles College of MusicPasadena, CA
87Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY
87University of DenverDenver, CO
92University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO
RankCollegeLocation
93Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
94Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
94Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX
94Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
97California Institute of the ArtsValencia, CA
98Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
98Queens CollegeQueens, NY
100Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main CampusIndiana, PA
101SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY
102California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
102Purchase CollegePurchase, NY
102The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
102University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
102Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
107California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
108University of FloridaGainesville, FL
108University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
110Texas A&M University - CommerceCommerce, TX
110University of KentuckyLexington, KY
110Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, PA
110University of California - BerkeleyBerkeley, CA
114University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
114St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
114University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
117San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
RankCollegeLocation
117California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
119Bard CollegeAnnandale-On-Hudson, NY
119University of Washington - Seattle CampusSeattle, WA
119Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, CA
119The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
123Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
123University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
123University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
123Lawrence UniversityAppleton, WI
127William Paterson University of New JerseyWayne, NJ
127The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
127Texas A&M University - KingsvilleKingsville, TX
130Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA
130California State University - ChicoChico, CA
132West Texas A&M UniversityCanyon, TX
132Snow CollegeEphraim, UT
132Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN
132Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
136University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
136University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
136Valencia CollegeOrlando, FL
136University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
140University of MississippiUniversity, MS
140University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
140University of Central ArkansasConway, AR
RankCollegeLocation
143Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
143Puerto Rico Conservatory of MusicSan Juan, PR
145Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
145Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL
145Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
145The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
145Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
150University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
150Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, UT
150University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
153SUNY PotsdamPotsdam, NY
153East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
153Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC
153University of DelawareNewark, DE
153Wheaton College IllinoisWheaton, IL
158Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
158University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
160Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH
160East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN
160Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX
160Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
160California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
160Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA
160Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH
167Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
RankCollegeLocation
167University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
167The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
167New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ
167Columbus State UniversityColumbus, GA
167El Centro CollegeDallas, TX
167Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
174Capital UniversityColumbus, OH
174Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN
174University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
174Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
174Chapman UniversityOrange, CA
174University of ChicagoChicago, IL
174Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL
181The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
181Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans, LA
181Stetson UniversityDeLand, FL
181University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
181Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
181University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA
187Brigham Young University - IdahoRexburg, ID
187University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
187Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersville, PA
187Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY
187University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
187Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
RankCollegeLocation
187Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, CA
187Jacksonville State UniversityJacksonville, AL
187Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL
196University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
196Towson UniversityTowson, MD
198Indiana State UniversityTerre Haute, IN
198Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
200Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ
200University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA
200San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
200Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
200Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
200North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
200University of North Carolina School of the ArtsWinston-Salem, NC
200Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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