College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best General Music Schools

429 Colleges in the United States
11,168 General Music Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in general music, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #73 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 429 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of general music. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 11,168 degrees in general music during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Music School

Best General Music Schools The general music program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Music rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general music schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your General Music Degree Level

Associate Degrees in General Music
Bachelor's Degrees in General Music
Master's Degrees in General Music
Doctor's Degrees in General Music

The general music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Music Schools. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Music in the United States

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 general music degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in General Music

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In IL
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a great decision for students interested in a degree in general music. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 30 general music students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from Northwestern University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35th Most Popular In CA

University of Southern California is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in general music. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 10 general music students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Southern California

3
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In GA
21.4% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in general music needs to check out Emory University. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 28 general music students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Emory University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In TN

It's hard to beat Vanderbilt University if you wish to pursue a degree in general music. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 6 general music students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Vanderbilt University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MI

U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 5 general music students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CT
31 General Music Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 31 general music students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Yale University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In NY
33.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 27 general music students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from New York University

8
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NC

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 11 general music students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from Duke University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN

Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 8 general music students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Notre Dame

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In TX
103 General Music Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 103 general music students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from The University of Texas at Austin

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NH
63.6% Growth in Graduates

Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were about 22 general music students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from Dartmouth College

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In IN
57.1% Growth in Graduates

IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 7 general music students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Indiana University - Bloomington

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In WI
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 30 general music students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Wisconsin - Madison

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
23rd Most Popular In TX
17.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 17 general music students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Southern Methodist University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NY
36 General Music Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 36 general music students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Columbia University in the City of New York

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
30th Most Popular In TX
18.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 11 general music students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from Texas Christian University

17
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In FL

Located in the city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 3 general music students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Miami

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
44 General Music Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 44 general music students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Los Angeles

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
25th Most Popular In MA
75.0% Growth in Graduates

Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. This university ranks 6th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 12 general music students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Boston University

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In MO

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were about 11 general music students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from Washington University in St Louis

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In MA
38.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 14th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 13 general music students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from Brandeis University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
47 General Music Degrees Awarded

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 47 general music students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Berkeley

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In PA
25.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 12 general music students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Pennsylvania

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
100 General Music Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 100 general music students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

25
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
21st Most Popular In NY
38.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 13 general music students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general music from University of Rochester

Rest of the Top Best General Music Schools

26
27
28
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
29
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
30
31
32

33

34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN

42

43
44
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA
45
46
47
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
48
49
50
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best General Music Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 429 different United States general music schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
52University of IowaIowa City, IA
53University of KentuckyLexington, KY
54University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
55Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA
56Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
57Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, PA
57University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
58University of DelawareNewark, DE
59Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
60Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
61DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
62Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
63University of RedlandsRedlands, CA
64Baylor UniversityWaco, TX

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best General Music Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
65Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City, OK
66University of Missouri - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
67University of TulsaTulsa, OK
68University of OregonEugene, OR
69California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
70Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA
71University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
72Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
73The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
74University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
75North Dakota State University - Main CampusFargo, ND
76University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
77Concordia College at MoorheadMoorhead, MN
77Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
78University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
79University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA
80Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC
81University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
82Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
83Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
84Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
85University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO

General Music by Region

View the Best General Music Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General Music is one of 17 different types of Music programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to General Music

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Music Performance7,281
Music Technology1,673
Music Theory & Composition1,194
Other Music1,127
Voice Performance668
Stringed Instruments553
Jazz Studies519
Keyboard Instruments476
Music Pedagogy377
Music History197

View All General Music Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options