by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 225 doctor'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.
Your choice of music for getting your doctor's degree school matters. 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:
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor'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 doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
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 colleges for music students working on their doctor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Music Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in music.
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in music needs to take a look at University of Rochester. Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
After graduation, music doctorate recipients usually earn an average of $49,861 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of Rochester
It is hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in music. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a doctorate in music from Johns Hopkins University
Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in music. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in music from Columbia University in the City of New York
Rutgers University - New Brunswick is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in music. Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public university located in the small city of New Brunswick.More information about a doctorate in music from Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.More information about a doctorate in music from Manhattan School of Music
UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park.
Doctorate recipients from the music program at University of Maryland - College Park earn $15,602 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the large suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their doctorate from the music program state that they receive average early career wages of $34,264.
More information about a doctorate in music from Stony Brook UniversityExplore the best music colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 176 | 21 |
| New York | 174 | 162 |
| Maryland | 119 | 23 |
| New Jersey | 115 | 24 |
| District of Columbia | 81 | 17 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Music has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Music | 86 |
| Music Performance | 76 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 25 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 17 |
| Stringed Instruments | 5 |
| Musicology & Ethnomusicology | 4 |
| Conducting | 4 |
| Voice Performance | 3 |
| Music History | 2 |
| Jazz Studies | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 68 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 23 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 8 |
| Other Visual Art | 8 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 7 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6 |
| Dance | 4 |
