2027 Best Music Schools in District of Columbia

Music is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best music schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Music Schools in District of Columbia

Best Schools for Music in District of Columbia

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall music education in District of Columbia.

Top Schools in Music

1

Catholic University Of America
Washington, DC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

39 Music Degrees Awarded

$23,856 Median Starting Salary

Catholic University Of America tops our 2027 ranking of the best music schools. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. About 80% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 39 music students who graduated with this degree at Catholic University Of America in the most recent data year. Students who receive their music degree from Catholic University Of America earn around $23,856 in the first couple years of their career. Catholic University Of America graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans. Get the full music details for Catholic University Of America

2

Howard University
Washington, DC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

28 Music Degrees Awarded

$58,495 Median Starting Salary

Howard University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best music schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. Howard University graduates 70% of students within six years. There were roughly 28 music students who graduated with this degree at Howard University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, music degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. Howard University graduates carry a median of $25,498 in student loans. Get the full music details for Howard University

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.