5
Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
157
Doctor's Degrees
If you pursue a doctor's degree in
music performance, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #53 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Music Performance Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 157 doctor's degrees in music performance to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
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Featured Music Performance Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More
The music performance doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. 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 account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on music performance students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other music performance students want to attend this school to pursue a doctor's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized music performance related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music performance students working on their doctor's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Music Performance Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Featured Music Performance Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More