Best Colleges for Music

Majoring in music isn’t just all about performance—there is also the study of theory, history, related-technology, and composition that must be mastered as part of an undergraduate education. While some graduates of music programs will become professional musicians, perhaps as a member of the world’s most elite orchestras, many others will pursue the teaching of music and elementary or secondary schools, music therapy, sound technician work for media/production companies, or venue/artist management. No matter your professional direction, the institutions that cracked our Best College for Majors list will deliver world-class instruction that will help launch your career. Some of the schools on our list are conservatories or stand-alone schools of music while others are music departments housed within larger universities.

Click the links below for more information about each college’s music program. Click here to read our methodology.

Bard College

Belmont University

Berklee College of Music

Boston University

California Institute of the Arts

Carnegie Mellon University

Cleveland Institute of Music

Colburn School Conservatory

Curtis Institute of Music

Indiana University

Johns Hopkins University

Lawrence University

Manhattan School of Music

New England Conservatory

New York University

Northwestern University

Oberlin College

Rice University

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Syracuse University

The Juilliard School

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of North Texas

University of Rochester

University of Southern California

University of Texas at Austin

Vanderbilt University

Yale University