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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Music Performance

513 Ranked Colleges
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Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Music Performance is the 116th most popular major in the country with 7,281 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major” ranking, we looked at 513 colleges that offer a degree in music performance. That schools that top this list have a program in music performance in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Performance Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Music Performance Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The music performance 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for music performance students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Music Performance

1
California Jazz Conservatory crest
California Jazz Conservatory
Berkeley, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Jazz Conservatory. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. California Jazz Conservatory is located in Berkeley, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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.

Full California Jazz Conservatory Music Performance Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cleveland Institute of Music. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 95 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music Performance at Cleveland Institute of Music

3
Curtis Institute of Music crest
Curtis Institute of Music
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Curtis Institute of Music. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 38 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at Curtis Institute of Music

4
Musicians Institute crest
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Musicians Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Musicians Institute is a small private for-profit school situated in Hollywood, California. It awarded 146 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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.

Full Musicians Institute Music Performance Report

5
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts

Out of the 513 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Berklee College of Music landed the #5 spot on the list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music performance degrees to 346 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Full Berklee College of Music Music Performance Report

6

The Baptist College of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. BCF is located in Graceville, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Music Performance at BCF

7

University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. UNCSA is a small school located in Winston Salem, North Carolina that handed out 47 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Performance at UNCSA

8
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington

Cornish College of the Arts landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 15 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music Performance at Cornish College of the Arts

9
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Lawrence U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin. It awarded 39 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Lawrence U Music Performance Report

10
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Oklahoma City University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 71 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Oklahoma City University Music Performance Report

11

Longy School of Music of Bard College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Longy School of Music of Bard College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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.

Full Longy Music Performance Report

12
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 95 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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. 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.

Full Oberlin Music Performance Report

13
Bard crest
Bard College
Annandale-On-Hudson, New York

Bard College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, and it awarded 38 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Bard College Music Performance Report

14
Calvary crest
Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri

Calvary University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Calvary University is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 3 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Calvary University

15
Visible Music College crest
Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee

Visible Music College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #15. Visible Music College is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 32 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Visible Music College Music Performance Report

16
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s music performance students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Music Performance at UArts

17
World Mission University crest
World Mission University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #17, World Mission University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 2 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Music Performance at World Mission University

18
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Messiah University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. This small school is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 40 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Music Performance at Messiah University

19
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Music Performance at Millikin University

20
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #20. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 172 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Rochester Music Performance Report

21
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. This small school is located in Fredonia, New York, and it awarded 41 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at SUNY Fredonia

22
Arkansas Baptist College crest
Arkansas Baptist College
Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas Baptist College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking, coming in at #22. Arkansas Baptist College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 0 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Arkansas Baptist College Music Performance Report

23

California Institute of the Arts came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 13 ’s music performance degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Performance at California Institute of the Arts

24
SUNY Potsdam crest
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, New York

SUNY Potsdam landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major ranking. SUNY Potsdam is located in Potsdam, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 ’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Performance at SUNY Potsdam

25
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major list. Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winchester, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about Music Performance at Shenandoah University

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Welch crest
Welch College
Gallatin, TN
28
29
Lynn University Fighting Knights crest
Lynn University
Boca Raton, FL
30
Salem crest
Salem College
Winston-Salem, NC
31
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN
32
33
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
34
35
Urshan College crest
Urshan College
Wentzville, MO
36
37
38
39
40
41
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
42
43
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
44
45
RU crest
Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI
46
47
48
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Music Performance Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51University of Central ArkansasConway, AR
52Glenville State CollegeGlenville, WV
53University of Missouri - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
54University of MobileMobile, AL
55Concordia College at MoorheadMoorhead, MN
56Alcorn State UniversityAlcorn State, MS
57Mansfield University of PennsylvaniaMansfield, PA
58University of North TexasDenton, TX
59Bowling Green State University - Main CampusBowling Green, OH
60McNeese State UniversityLake Charles, LA
61Lee UniversityCleveland, TN
62Wartburg CollegeWaverly, IA
63Northwestern State University of LouisianaNatchitoches, LA
64James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
65University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
RankCollegeLocation
66The College of Saint RoseAlbany, NY
67Huntingdon CollegeMontgomery, AL
68Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
69California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
70Purchase CollegePurchase, NY
71University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
72Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN
73Catawba CollegeSalisbury, NC
74Converse CollegeSpartanburg, SC
75West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeBuckhannon, WV
76Toccoa Falls CollegeToccoa Falls, GA
77Onondaga Community CollegeSyracuse, NY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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