by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 88 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,729 bachelor's degrees in music to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
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:
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 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.
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 colleges for music students working on their bachelor's degree.
The 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 Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region.
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.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Vanderbilt University is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Vanderbilt University
Belmont University is a good decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Belmont is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.
Soon after graduation, music bachelor's recipients generally earn about $24,016 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Belmont University
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in music has to look into University of Miami. U Miami is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Coral Gables.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program report average early career wages of $15,492.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Miami
Florida State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population.
After graduating, music bachelor's recipients usually earn about $19,429 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Florida State University
UofSC is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia.
Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from University of South Carolina - Columbia receive $10,450 more than the typical music graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of South Carolina - Columbia
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the music degree program at Emory University earn $5,223 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Emory University
UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
Bachelor's recipients from the music degree program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill make $4,673 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
JMU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg.
Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from James Madison University make $7,899 more than the typical music grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from James Madison University
Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, music bachelor's recipients generally earn around $22,559 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Florida
Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a very large student population.
Soon after graduating, music bachelor's recipients typically earn around $15,289 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Georgia
Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, music bachelor's recipients generally earn around $28,003 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from Liberty University
UK is a very large public university located in the large city of Lexington.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the music program make around $17,040 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Kentucky
Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Virginia Tech
GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax.
Music bachelor's degree recipients from George Mason University earn a boost of about $6,404 over the typical income of music graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from George Mason University
Located in the large suburb of Greenville, Furman is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music from Furman University
Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those music students who get their bachelor's degree from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville earn $3,681 more than the typical music student.
More information about a bachelor’s in music from The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleHere are some additional great schools for Music students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Shenandoah University | Winchester, VA |
| 19 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 20 | Elon University | Elon, NC |
| 21 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts | Winston Salem, NC |
| 22 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 23 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN |
| 24 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
| 25 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
| 26 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 27 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 28 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 29 | University of Mississippi | University, MS |
Explore the best music colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 225 | 771 |
| Georgia | 224 | 317 |
| Tennessee | 220 | 630 |
| North Carolina | 213 | 385 |
| Virginia | 213 | 453 |
| South Carolina | 195 | 160 |
| Kentucky | 187 | 208 |
| Alabama | 184 | 238 |
| Louisiana | 171 | 210 |
| Mississippi | 169 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 167 | 123 |
| West Virginia | 147 | 61 |
Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Music | 1,833 |
| Music Performance | 915 |
| Music Technology | 432 |
| Other Music | 269 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 61 |
| Voice Performance | 52 |
| Music History | 43 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 28 |
| Jazz Studies | 27 |
| Music Pedagogy | 22 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 5,505 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 4,090 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2,749 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 2,705 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 1,780 |
| Arts & Media Management | 1,287 |
| Dance | 470 |
| Other Visual Art | 81 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 27 |
