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2025 Best Music Master's Degree Schools in New York

13 Colleges in New York
972 Master's Degrees
$25,467 Avg Early-Career Salary
Music is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #36 most popular master's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 13 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Music Master's Degree Schools in New York ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 972 master's degrees in music during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Music School for Your Master's Degree

Best Music Master's Degree Schools in New York 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:

Overall Quality Is a Must

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 Salaries

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.

Other Factors We Consider

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Music Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Music Master's Degree Schools in New York list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Music in New York

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for music students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top New York Schools for a Master's in Music

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in music has to look into New York University. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Master's recipients from the music program at New York University make $6,708 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in music from New York University

2
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY

It is hard to beat The Juilliard School if you wish 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 report average early career wages of $14,101.

More information about a master’s in music from The Juilliard School

3

University of Rochester is a good decision for students interested in a master's degree in music. 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 report average early career earnings of $18,056.

More information about a master’s in music from University of Rochester

4
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY

The New School is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in music. New School University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

Master's students who receive their degree from the music program earn around $18,911 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in music from The New School

5
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
20 Annual Graduates

Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse.More information about a master’s in music from Syracuse University

6

Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

After graduation, music master's recipients typically make about $18,441 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in music from Manhattan School of Music

7
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
12 Annual Graduates

Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in music from Ithaca College

8
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, NY

SUNY Fredonia is a small public school located in the distant town of Fredonia.

Music master's degree recipients from SUNY Fredonia receive an earnings boost of approximately $24,707 above the average income of music graduates.

More information about a master’s in music from SUNY Fredonia

9
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in music from Stony Brook University

10
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, NY

Purchase College is a small public college located in the large suburb of Purchase.

After graduation, music master's recipients generally earn an average of $27,250 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in music from Purchase College

Best Music Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Music Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 248 225
Maryland 193 132
New Jersey 188 95
District of Columbia 154 12
Delaware 109 26

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Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Music Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Music Performance 271
Voice Performance 130
Keyboard Instruments 119
Music Theory & Composition 111
Stringed Instruments 87
Jazz Studies 68
Other Music 47
General Music 45
Woodwind Instruments 32
Conducting 18

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 657
Design & Applied Arts 373
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 327
Drama & Theater Arts 314
Other Visual Art 245
Arts & Media Management 176
Dance 41
General Visual & Performing Arts 27

Notes and References

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