by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 37 schools in the New England Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,364 bachelor's degrees in music during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The music bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the New England Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for music students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
Dartmouth College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Dartmouth College
It's difficult to beat Yale University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in music. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Yale University
Boston University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Boston University
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in music needs to look into Brandeis University. Brandeis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waltham.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Brandeis University
UCONN is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Storrs.More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Connecticut
Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Brown University
Berklee College of Music is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Boston.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the music program make an average of $20,512 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Berklee College of Music
Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Tufts University
UMass Amherst is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Amherst.
Music bachelor's degree recipients from University of Massachusetts Amherst earn a boost of around $4,179 over the average earnings of music graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Massachusetts Amherst
Located in the city of Boston, The New England Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After graduation, music bachelor's recipients generally earn around $10,847 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from The New England Conservatory of MusicExplore the best music colleges for a specific state in the New England Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 238 | 959 |
| Connecticut | 183 | 203 |
| New Hampshire | 157 | 39 |
| Rhode Island | 157 | 60 |
| Maine | 156 | 47 |
| Vermont | 155 | 56 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Music has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Music | 484 |
| Other Music | 282 |
| Music Performance | 267 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 185 |
| Stringed Instruments | 34 |
| Voice Performance | 23 |
| Music Technology | 20 |
| Music Pedagogy | 17 |
| Jazz Studies | 16 |
| Sound Arts | 11 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Design & Applied Arts | 1,511 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 1,452 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 1,157 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 857 |
| Arts & Media Management | 236 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 196 |
| Dance | 163 |
| Other Visual Art | 18 |
| Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art | 9 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 6 |
