by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a doctor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 289 doctor's degrees in music during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
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 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:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full 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.
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 Doctor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region 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 doctor's degree in music.
Any student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in music has to check out University of Miami. Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, music doctorate recipients typically earn about $30,859 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of Miami
University of South Carolina - Columbia is a wonderful option for students pursuing a doctor's degree in music. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a very large student population.
Doctorate recipients from the music major at University of South Carolina - Columbia earn $7,148 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of South Carolina - Columbia
Florida State University is a good choice for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in music. Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee.
Doctorate graduates who receive their degree from the music program earn an average of $33,487 for their early career.
More information about a doctorate in music from Florida State University
It is hard to beat University of Kentucky if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in music. Located in the large city of Lexington, UK is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Music doctor's degree recipients from University of Kentucky get an earnings boost of about $7,746 over the typical earnings of music graduates.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of Kentucky
UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville.More information about a doctorate in music from University of Florida
Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg.More information about a doctorate in music from Liberty University
UGA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Athens.
Soon after graduating, music doctorate recipients typically make about $28,793 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of Georgia
Louisiana State University is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Baton Rouge.More information about a doctorate in music from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in music from The University of Alabama
Southern Miss is a large public university located in the small city of Hattiesburg.More information about a doctorate in music from University of Southern Mississippi
Explore the best music colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 138 | 72 |
| Virginia | 127 | 38 |
| Georgia | 126 | 14 |
| North Carolina | 115 | 15 |
| Mississippi | 113 | 11 |
| Louisiana | 103 | 18 |
| Tennessee | 102 | 13 |
| Alabama | 98 | 9 |
| South Carolina | 91 | 15 |
| Kentucky | 87 | 19 |
| West Virginia | 49 | 16 |
Music is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music Performance | 91 |
| General Music | 89 |
| Music Pedagogy | 57 |
| Conducting | 11 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 10 |
| Musicology & Ethnomusicology | 9 |
| Other Music | 7 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 6 |
| Voice Performance | 4 |
| Jazz Studies | 3 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 21 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 8 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 5 |
