College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

39 Colleges in the Southwest Region
1,677 Bachelor's Degrees
$35,806 Avg Early-Career Salary
Music is of the hottest bachelor's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #34 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 39 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,677 bachelor's degrees in music to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Music School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region Your choice of music for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality music program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for music students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Music Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Music in the Southwest Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in music.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Music

1
55 Annual Graduates
$46,478 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Music bachelor's degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of about $10,672 over the average income of music majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from The University of Texas at Austin

2
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
24 Annual Graduates

Rice University is a good option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Rice University

3
33 Annual Graduates
$18,417 Median Student Debt

Southern Methodist University is a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Southern Methodist University

4
17 Annual Graduates
$23,500 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Texas Christian University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Texas Christian University

5
81 Annual Graduates
$49,557 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Houston receive $13,751 more than the standard music graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Houston

6
200 Annual Graduates
$33,408 Median Starting Salary
$24,456 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Denton, UNT is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program state that they receive average early career income of $33,408.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of North Texas

7
73 Annual Graduates
$43,170 Median Starting Salary
$27,816 Median Student Debt

Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the city of Lubbock.

Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University earn $7,364 more than the standard music graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Texas Tech University

8
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
69 Annual Graduates
$40,576 Median Starting Salary
$26,241 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Music bachelor's degree recipients from Texas State University receive an earnings boost of about $4,770 over the average income of music graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Texas State University

9
34 Annual Graduates
$14,901 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Baylor is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waco.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the music program earn around $14,901 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Baylor University

10
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, OK
66 Annual Graduates
$19,602 Median Starting Salary
$26,456 Median Student Debt

OCU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Oklahoma City.

Soon after graduating, music bachelor's recipients usually make around $19,602 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Oklahoma City University

Best Music Colleges by State

Explore the best music schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 245 1,252
Arizona 200 136
Oklahoma 190 244
New Mexico 133 45

View All Rankings >

Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Music Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Music 1,120
Music Performance 381
Jazz Studies 45
Music Technology 33
Voice Performance 30
Music Theory & Composition 29
Stringed Instruments 16
Keyboard Instruments 8
Music Pedagogy 4
Music History 3

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 2,134
Design & Applied Arts 1,473
Drama & Theater Arts 1,093
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 680
General Visual & Performing Arts 592
Dance 338
Arts & Media Management 92
Other Visual Art 5

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options