by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Jazz Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 574 people earned their degree in jazz studies, making the major the 544th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Jazz Major” ranking looked at 72 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in jazz studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular jazz studies programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Jazz Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for jazz students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Jazz Major. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 56 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The New School. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. The New School is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 55 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Miami. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Jazz Major. Located in Coral Gables, Florida, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 43 degrees to qualified ’s jazz students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 72 schools in the Most Well Attended Jazz Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The New England Conservatory of Music landed the #4 spot on the list. The New England Conservatory of Music is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 36 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Jazz Studies at The New England Conservatory of Music
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Juilliard School. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Jazz Major. The Juilliard School is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s jazz degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s jazz degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Queens College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 21 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Manhattan School of Music landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 19 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Jazz Studies at Manhattan School of Music
University of Arkansas at Monticello ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. Located in Monticello, Arkansas, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s jazz students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s jazz degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #9, University of Hartford did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. West Hartford, Connecticut is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s jazz degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Temple University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. Temple University is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 17 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The City College of New York landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s jazz degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Jazz Studies at The City College of New York
With a ranking of #13, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 16 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is a small public school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 15 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Jazz Studies at Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music
DePaul University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Purchase College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. Located in Purchase, New York, this small public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s jazz students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #18, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Jazz Studies at University of Missouri - Kansas City
Oberlin College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s jazz degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking, coming in at #20. University of North Florida is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Jazz Studies at University of North Florida
University of Oregon ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 8 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking, coming in at #22. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a medium-sized public school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 6 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Jazz Studies at Minnesota State University - Moorhead
San Francisco Conservatory of Music came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. SFCM is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 6 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 6 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking, coming in at #22. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s jazz degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major list. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s jazz students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Jazz Studies at California Institute of the Arts
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Jazz Major ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Jazz Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Read more about our data sources and methodologies