College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music

1,077 Colleges in the United States
15,839 Bachelor's Degrees
$25,137 Avg Early-Career Salary
Music is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #34 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 1,077 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the most popular for music students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 15,839 bachelor's degrees in music during the 2019-2020 academic year.

What's on this page: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Music School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music The music bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. As an aid in helping you pick the right school for you, we created our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music ranking.

A high popularity ranking isn't always a sign that a school has a great overall quality ranking for music, but it does mean that many students are choosing the school for some reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

Associate Degrees in Music
Master's Degrees in Music
Doctor's Degrees in Music
Overall Popularity in Music

This ranking is just one of the many we have created. First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above. Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for music.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Below you'll see a list of the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Most Well Attended Schools for Music Students Working on Their Bachelor's

1
657 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#16 Best Quality In MA

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Berklee College of Music if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in music. Berklee College of Music is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Boston.

There were approximately 657 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Berklee College of Music in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduating, music bachelor's recipients usually earn around $20,100 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Berklee College of Music

2
Full Sail University crest
Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL
228 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In FL
#19 Best Quality In FL

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in music has to look into Full Sail University. Full Sail University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the large suburb of Winter Park.

There were about 228 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Full Sail University in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the music program make an average of $26,900 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Full Sail University

3
186 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#8 Best Quality In TX

University of North Texas is a popular decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. UNT is a very large public university located in the city of Denton. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #8 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Texas.

There were roughly 186 music individuals who graduated with this degree at UNT in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the music major at University of North Texas get $12,963 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of North Texas

4
140 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IN
#3 Best Quality In IN

Indiana University - Bloomington is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in music. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Indiana.

There were about 140 music students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program report average early career income of $16,100.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Indiana University - Bloomington

5
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
133 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In OH
#1 Best Quality In OH

Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit college located in the fringe town of Oberlin. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Ohio.

There were roughly 133 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Oberlin in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the music program make an average of $17,600 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Oberlin College

6
126 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NY
#7 Best Quality In NY

University of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Rochester. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #7 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in New York.

There were approximately 126 music students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program report average early career earnings of $19,000.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Rochester

7
125 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#21 Best Quality In CA

CSUN is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Northridge.

There were approximately 125 music individuals who graduated with this degree at CSUN in the most recent data year.

After graduation, music bachelor's recipients typically make an average of $19,700 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from California State University - Northridge

8
118 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the large city of Boston, The New England Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

There were about 118 music individuals who graduated with this degree at The New England Conservatory of Music in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program state that they receive average early career income of $13,600.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from The New England Conservatory of Music

9
113 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In CA
#24 Best Quality In CA

Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population.

There were roughly 113 music students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year.

After graduation, music bachelor's recipients typically make an average of $13,700 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from California State University - Long Beach

10
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
107 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TN
#3 Best Quality In TN

Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Tennessee.

There were approximately 107 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, music bachelor's recipients generally make about $19,700 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Belmont University

11
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
101 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In VA
#14 Best Quality In VA

Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg.

There were approximately 101 music students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the music program earn an average of $22,300 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Liberty University

11
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
101 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In NY
#23 Best Quality In NY

Located in the large city of New York, New School University is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

There were about 101 music students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program report average early career earnings of $16,500.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from The New School

13
98 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Illinois.

There were approximately 98 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduating, music bachelor's recipients typically earn around $22,400 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Northwestern University

13
98 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In TN
#4 Best Quality In TN

Located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Tennessee.

There were approximately 98 music students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the music major at Middle Tennessee State University earn $6,263 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Middle Tennessee State University

15
96 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In NY
#20 Best Quality In NY

Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

There were approximately 96 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Manhattan School of Music in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduating, music bachelor's recipients typically make about $17,500 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Manhattan School of Music

16
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY
88 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In NY
#13 Best Quality In NY

Juilliard is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

There were approximately 88 music students who graduated with this degree at Juilliard in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from The Juilliard School

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
87 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In FL
#1 Best Quality In FL

Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tallahassee. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Florida.

There were roughly 87 music students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program state that they receive average early career income of $24,900.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Florida State University

18
83 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CO
#4 Best Quality In CO

CU Anschutz is a fairly large public university located in the city of Denver. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Colorado.

There were roughly 83 music individuals who graduated with this degree at CU Anschutz in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the music program report average early career wages of $25,100.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

18
83 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In TX
#11 Best Quality In TX

Located in the town of Nacogdoches, SFASU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

There were about 83 music students who graduated with this degree at SFASU in the most recent year we have data available.

Music bachelor's degree recipients from Stephen F Austin State University earn a boost of about $15,463 over the typical earnings of music majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Stephen F Austin State University

20
81 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MI
#1 Best Quality In MI

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Michigan.

There were roughly 81 music students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, music bachelor's recipients generally earn about $21,700 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

21
Rowan crest
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
78 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NJ
#3 Best Quality In NJ

Rowan is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Glassboro. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in New Jersey.

There were roughly 78 music students who graduated with this degree at Rowan in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the music program at Rowan University earn $7,863 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Rowan University

22
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
77 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In VA
#3 Best Quality In VA

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in Virginia.

There were approximately 77 music students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the music degree program at James Madison University make $6,463 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from James Madison University

22
Rider crest
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
77 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In NJ
#6 Best Quality In NJ

Located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in New Jersey.

There were about 77 music students who graduated with this degree at Rider in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduation, music bachelor's recipients generally earn an average of $21,700 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Rider University

24
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
76 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In NY
#11 Best Quality In NY

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.

There were roughly 76 music individuals who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, music bachelor's recipients generally earn around $16,900 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from New York University

24
76 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In NJ
#4 Best Quality In NJ

Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State is a public university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in music in New Jersey.

There were approximately 76 music individuals who graduated with this degree at Montclair State in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, music bachelor's recipients usually earn about $21,000 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in music from Montclair State University

26
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
27
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
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33
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

33
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
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38
39
39
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
41

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OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, OK
44
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Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1077 different United States music schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT
52 Luther College Decorah, IA
53 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
53 West Texas A&M University Canyon, TX
55 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
55 Purchase College Purchase, NY
55 SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY
55 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
55 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
60 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
61 California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA
61 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
61 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
64 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
64 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
64 The City College of New York New York, NY
67 University of Georgia Athens, GA
67 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
67 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
70 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
70 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
72 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
72 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
72 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
72 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
72 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
77 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
77 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
79 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
79 Illinois State University Normal, IL
79 Stetson University DeLand, FL
79 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
79 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
79 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
85 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
85 Capital University Columbus, OH
85 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
85 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
85 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
90 Florida International University Miami, FL
90 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
90 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
93 Texas A&M University - Commerce Commerce, TX
93 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
93 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
93 University of New Haven West Haven, CT
93 SUNY Potsdam Potsdam, NY
98 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
98 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
98 Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Indiana, PA
98 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
98 Utah State University Logan, UT
98 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
104 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
104 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
104 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
107 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
107 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
107 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
107 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
107 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
112 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
112 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL
112 Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music San Juan, PR
112 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
112 The College of Saint Rose Albany, NY
117 Furman University Greenville, SC
117 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
117 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
117 The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA
117 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
117 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
117 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
124 San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA
124 Northeastern University Boston, MA
124 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
124 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
128 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
128 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
128 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
128 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
128 Hunter College New York, NY
128 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
128 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
135 Emory University Atlanta, GA
135 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
135 Chapman University Orange, CA
135 Towson University Towson, MD
135 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
135 Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia, PA
135 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
135 Boston University Boston, MA
143 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
143 Murray State University Murray, KY
143 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
143 Queens College Queens, NY
143 Millikin University Decatur, IL
143 Los Angeles College of Music Pasadena, CA
143 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
150 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
150 New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ
150 Brown University Providence, RI
150 University of Mississippi University, MS
150 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
150 Auburn University Auburn, AL
156 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
156 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
156 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
156 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
156 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA
156 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music award.

Rank College Location
162 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
162 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
162 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
162 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
162 Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, TX
162 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
162 University of Denver Denver, CO
162 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
162 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
162 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
162 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
162 Baylor University Waco, TX
162 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
162 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
162 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
177 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
177 Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN
177 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
177 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
177 DePaul University Chicago, IL
177 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
177 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
177 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
177 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
177 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
177 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
188 University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston-Salem, NC
188 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
188 Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO
188 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
188 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
188 Rice University Houston, TX
188 Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA
188 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
188 Morehead State University Morehead, KY
188 Radford University Radford, VA
188 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
199 Biola University La Mirada, CA
199 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA
199 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
199 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
199 Northern Vermont University Johnson, VT
199 The University of Montana Missoula, MT
199 Portland State University Portland, OR
199 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
207 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
207 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
207 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
207 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
207 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
207 The Master’s University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA
207 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
207 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
207 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
207 Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA
207 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH

Music by Region

View the Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Music has other similar majors worth exploring.

Music Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Music 7,886
Music Performance 4,318
Other Music 886
Music Technology 656
Music Theory & Composition 595
Voice Performance 364
Jazz Studies 347
Stringed Instruments 209
Keyboard Instruments 174
Music History 141

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 25,775
Design & Applied Arts 19,683
Drama & Theater Arts 13,307
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 11,965
General Visual & Performing Arts 3,699
Arts & Media Management 3,298
Dance 2,817
Other Visual Art 529
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 76
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 3

Notes and References

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