by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 24 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,478 master'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.
The music master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. 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 for a Master's Degree 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 master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master'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 schools for music students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Music Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for music students seeking a a master's degree.
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in music needs to take a look at New York University. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program report average early career wages of $32,175.
More information about a master’s in music from New York University
It's difficult to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in music. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.
Soon after graduation, music master's recipients typically make about $30,761 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in music from Johns Hopkins University
It's difficult to beat The Juilliard School if you want to pursue a master's degree in music. Juilliard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program state that they receive average early career earnings of $14,101.
More information about a master’s in music from The Juilliard School
It's difficult to beat Carnegie Mellon University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in music. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
After graduating, music master's recipients typically make about $23,278 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in music from Carnegie Mellon University
Located in the midsize city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program state that they receive average early career earnings of $18,056.
More information about a master’s in music from University of Rochester
Messiah is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg.
Music master's degree recipients from Messiah University get an earnings boost of about $33,402 over the typical income of music majors.
More information about a master’s in music from Messiah University
New School University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the music program earn about $18,911 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in music from The New School
Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse.More information about a master’s in music from Syracuse University
Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
After graduating, music master's recipients usually earn around $18,441 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in music from Manhattan School of Music
Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in music from Ithaca College
Explore the best music colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 261 | 811 |
| Pennsylvania | 248 | 225 |
| Maryland | 193 | 132 |
| New Jersey | 188 | 95 |
| District of Columbia | 154 | 12 |
| Delaware | 109 | 26 |
Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music Performance | 523 |
| General Music | 168 |
| Voice Performance | 151 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 135 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 124 |
| Stringed Instruments | 91 |
| Jazz Studies | 82 |
| Other Music | 50 |
| Woodwind Instruments | 32 |
| Conducting | 31 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 918 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 648 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 419 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 413 |
| Arts & Media Management | 307 |
| Other Visual Art | 249 |
| Dance | 69 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 42 |
