2024 Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region
40
Colleges in the Plains States Region
1,308
Music Degrees Awarded
$30,383
Avg Early-Career Salary
Music is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #43 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 40 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,308 degrees in music during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Music School
The music program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Music rankings. We derive our Best Overall Music School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Music Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Music Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
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Featured Music Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More
Best Schools for Music in the Plains States Region
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the music degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Music
Washington University in St Louis is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in music. WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.
There were roughly 15 music students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music from Washington University in St Louis
Any student pursuing a degree in music has to look into St Olaf College. Located in the town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #190 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.
There were roughly 53 music students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the music program earn around $24,029 for their early career.
More information about a degree in music from St Olaf College
It is hard to beat Luther College if you wish to pursue a degree in music. Located in the remote town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 7th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.
There were approximately 30 music students who graduated with this degree at Luther in the most recent data year. Music degree recipients from Luther College receive an earnings boost of about $7,340 over the typical income of music majors.
More information about a degree in music from Luther College
University of Iowa is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in music. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.
There were roughly 84 music students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the music program earn around $28,817 for their early career.
More information about a degree in music from University of Iowa
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IA
Drake is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Des Moines. A Best Colleges rank of #224 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Drake is a great university overall.
There were roughly 11 music students who graduated with this degree at Drake in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music from Drake University
Located in the city of Kansas City, UMKC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were approximately 111 music students who graduated with this degree at UMKC in the most recent data year. After graduation, music degree recipients typically make around $28,941 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in music from University of Missouri - Kansas City
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In IA
36
Music Degrees Awarded
UNI is a medium-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #199 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.
There were approximately 36 music students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music from University of Northern Iowa
Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 12 schools for overall quality in the state of North Dakota.
There were approximately 32 music students who graduated with this degree at North Dakota State University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the music program at North Dakota State University - Main Campus make $8,721 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in music from North Dakota State University - Main Campus
UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.
There were about 69 music students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the music program report average early career income of $27,439.
More information about a degree in music from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.
There were about 67 music students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent year we have data available. Those music students who get their degree from University of Kansas make $3,769 more than the typical music student.
More information about a degree in music from University of Kansas
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