by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 150 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,247 master's degrees in music to qualified students.
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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. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
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.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music students working on their master's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Music Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college 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.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in music. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in music needs to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program report average early career earnings of $21,290.
More information about a master’s in music from Northwestern University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in music needs to look into New York University. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's students who receive their degree from the music program earn around $32,175 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in music from New York University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in music. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor.
After graduating, music master's recipients generally earn an average of $16,971 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in music from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
It's hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a master's degree in music. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program report average early career income of $27,510.
More information about a master’s in music from University of Southern California
Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.More information about a master’s in music from Boston University
Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program state that they receive average early career wages of $30,761.
More information about a master’s in music from Johns Hopkins University
Juilliard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the music program earn an average of $14,101 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in music from The Juilliard School
Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon 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 $23,278.
More information about a master’s in music from Carnegie Mellon University
Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Music master's degree recipients from Michigan State University earn a boost of about $10,983 above the typical income of music majors.
More information about a master’s in music from Michigan State University
Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the music program earn an average of $18,056 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in music from University of Rochester
IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Bloomington.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program report average early career income of $22,513.
More information about a master’s in music from Indiana University - Bloomington
Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in music from Texas Christian University
SFCM is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
Master's recipients from the music degree program at San Francisco Conservatory of Music make $3,524 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in music from San Francisco Conservatory of Music
U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Coral Gables.
Master's students who receive their degree from the music program earn about $25,623 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in music from University of Miami
Messiah is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg.
Master's recipients from the music degree program at Messiah University earn $34,608 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in music from Messiah University
New School University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Soon after graduation, music master's recipients typically make about $18,911 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in music from The New School
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Master's students who receive their degree from the music program make around $15,520 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in music from University of California - Los Angeles
UC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Cincinnati.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program state that they receive average early career earnings of $25,713.
More information about a master’s in music from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
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
Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program report average early career income of $27,179.
More information about a master’s in music from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the city of Boston, Berklee College of Music is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program report average early career income of $25,163.
More information about a master’s in music from Berklee College of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.
Master's students who receive their degree from the music program make an average of $24,499 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in music from The New England Conservatory of Music
Manhattan School of Music 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 wages of $18,441.
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
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the music program state that they receive average early career earnings of $21,826.
More information about a master’s in music from Temple University
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Music Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT |
| 32 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 33 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
| 34 | University of Denver | Denver, CO |
| 35 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 36 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 37 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 38 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 39 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 40 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
| 41 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 42 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 43 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 44 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 45 | Baylor University | Waco, TX |
| 46 | Butler University | Indianapolis, IN |
| 47 | University of Missouri - Kansas City | Kansas City, MO |
| 48 | Roosevelt University | Chicago, IL |
| 49 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
| 50 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
View the Best Music Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music Performance | 2,231 |
| General Music | 1,644 |
| Voice Performance | 356 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 344 |
| Stringed Instruments | 322 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 261 |
| Music Pedagogy | 215 |
| Jazz Studies | 192 |
| Other Music | 173 |
| Music Technology | 125 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 3,058 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 1,871 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 1,756 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 1,688 |
| Arts & Media Management | 1,178 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 327 |
| Other Visual Art | 319 |
| Dance | 244 |
