Download the Guide ⤊ or scroll down ⤋ to view information for each school

For our largest Music Schools Guide, we culled about 60 institutions from our data base of nearly 1,200 schools. We focused on quality and reputation, and paid little attention to school size.

The result: the 2019-20 Guide runs the gamut from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia (23 students) to the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (1,600 students).

While a school’s size doesn’t necessarily impact its quality, it can impact the breadth of options. Large university music programs will more likely offer, say, a double degree in trombone performance and business. However, some of the smallest schools are tuition-free, and most schools in the Guide offers some training in the music business.

For the student of the arts, it seems the field is rich in options.

---

Located in the culturally rich Southwest desert in one of the country's most vibrant, expanding urban centers, the ASU School of Music affords its students not only access to this diverse environment but also engagement in Phoenix's diverse, flourishing arts community.

---

The DePaul University School of Music offers conservatory style, performance-based study within a large university in Chicago, a destination city for world-class arts. Students benefit from individualized study and rehearsal at the highest level among a supportive community of individuals striving to be their best.

---

Eastman is dedicated to the highest levels of artistry and scholarship and to the broad education of young musicians within the context of a university. Our students enjoy a challenging but nurturing environment that focuses on artistic excellence while encouraging the pursuit of individual paths and interests.

---

The success of our graduates, many of whom now have successful careers as concert and recording artists, is a testament to our focus on performance training. Committed to mentoring, our purposefully small school offers exceptional practice and performance spaces, and 50 percent more private lesson time with inspiring, well known faculty.

---

We specialize in undergraduate education for musicians, promoting their artistic, professional, and intellectual development. Our students enjoy exceptional performance opportunities in state-of-the-art facilities with internationally renowned faculty who know them by name. Come here to hone your craft and turn your passion into profession. Become ANYTHING IMAGINABLE.

---

The Hartt School is a truly collaborative environment where faculty embrace that success takes on endless forms. They get to know each student and guide them toward the future meant just for them. Hartt students engage with the professional world in meaningful ways to enhance their education and professional network.

---

The more than 1,600 students who study at the Jacobs School of Music benefit from the intensity and focus of a conservatory combined with the broad academic offerings of a major university. The breadth and number of performance opportunities are unparalleled in college music study.

---

Since 1905 Juilliard educated the world's foremost musicians, then dancers & actors; it's Lincoln Center campus a launching ground for artistic achievement, with an equally world-renowned faculty.

---

Lynn offers world-class faculty and full-tuition scholarships to all enrolled conservatory students. Room and board scholarships also available.

---

Manhattan School of Music takes full advantage of New York's abundant learning and performance opportunities, preparing highly talented students for careers as passionate performers and composers and to be imaginative, effective leaders in the arts. Our students thrive in a supportive atmosphere that encourages excellence, values individuals, and welcomes innovation.

---

With its proximity to the cultural hub of Chicago, conservatory-level musical training and engaging academic environment, Northwestern's Bienen School of Music provides students an educational atmosphere unlike any other. Undergraduates may pursue dual degrees or double majors or an ad hoc (self-designed) major. Bienen graduates enjoy successful careers in a variety of music-related fields.

---

Excellence in professional training is at the center of a Peabody education. Your studio experience will form the core of your Peabody education, and the supportive academic program which has long been a hallmark of Peabody's curriculum will equip you with a strong, holistic foundation in music and the humanities.

---

Teachers College, Columbia University is the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States and is also perennially ranked among the nation's best. We serve current and aspiring educators who want to truly make a difference in the world.

---

The Tianjin Juilliard School uniquely focuses on collaborative musicianship, emphasizing a commitment to ensemble playing of the highest artistic level. Our programs reflect the best of educational standards, preparing students for a lifetime of creative expression, of engagement and growth as an individual and as a musician.

---

Declared one of the nation's leading conservatories by the New York Times, CCM offers nine degree types (BA, BM, BFA, MFA, MM, MA, AD, DMA, PhD) in more than 100 possible majors.

---

The student body of the UF School of Music is an exceptional group of regional, national, and international artists and scholars. UF's extraordinary academic reputation, highly accomplished faculty, rigor of professional training, and notable success of our alumni attracts many of the best and brightest students each year.

---

At the USC Thornton School of Music, we celebrate our location in Los Angeles, the nation's center for creativity and innovation. As the music profession changes, we offer a forward-thinking education that prepares students for careers at the highest levels as performers, composers, educators, and industry leaders. Our three exceptional divisions offer cross-genre experiences unique among the country's top music schools.

---

The Yale School of Music is a graduate professional school for students of exceptional ability. In addition to receiving professional training in music, students are encouraged to participate in the rich intellectual life of Yale University and to develop and pursue interests in areas outside of their majors.

The Academy of the Vocal Arts is the only nationally accredited conservatory in the United States exclusively devoted to the training of young opera singers tuition-free. Artists from throughout the States and all over the world audition to study and perform in AVA's four-year program.

Blair is a conservatory-level music program alongside a top 15 academic institution. It is one of the few exclusively undergraduate music schools in the country.

The Boston University School of Music is a community of academically and artistically extraordinary musicians within a major research university located in one of the great music capitals of America. We are committed to the highest artistic and professional standards in performance, composition, music education, and musicology.

Crane is an undergraduate-focused music school with attentive full-time faculty. We are part of SUNY Potsdam, an arts-centric school, with 550 music majors and where about 25 percent of students major in the arts. At Crane, students can choose from a wide variety of programs and majors.

One of the most selective schools in the United States, Curtis accepts four percent of applicants each year on average. A tuition-free policy ensures that talent and artistic promise are the only considerations for admission. Curtis's celebrated faculty includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians whose experience provides students with a direct link to life as a professional musician today.

Online learning makes a difference! Our platform offers the latest technology to meet the standards of eLearning. The focus of musical training is entirely on educating the student. Technical options include split-screen video and variable speed options. Besides, we created the ecosystem musiXange that offers musicians free resources and promotion.

Longy prepares musicians to make a difference in the world with a social imperative that is at the core of the School's curriculum. Breaking down traditional conservatory constraints, Longy students learn to lead meaningful lives in music through project-based courses and performances alongside professional partners.

Mason Gross School of the Arts allows you to gain high level conservatory training while enjoying the traditional college experience that a public university provides. Our students also benefit from our close proximity to the vibrant arts culture in New York City and Philadelphia.

Pepperdine University has emerged as one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in beautiful Malibu, California, the Music Department offers high-quality instruction and an exceptional, personal learning experience for each individual. This nurturing environment allows our students to refine their talents for successful lives as musicians. Ample scholarships are available.

The Royal College of Music (RCM) is one of the world's greatest conservatories. Ranked the top institution for performing arts in the UK for four consecutive years (QS World University Rankings 2016-2019), we welcome staff and students from all over the world bringing exceptional talent, creativity, and inspiration.

With a faculty that includes nearly 30 members of the San Francisco Symphony, as well as collaborative partnerships with the Bay Area's major performing arts institutions and tech and entertainment companies, SFCM provides its students with an unparalleled opportunity to study in the heart of San Francisco's performing arts district.

The Shepherd School of Music provides a dedicated faculty of artist-teachers, extraordinary performance opportunities, beautiful facilities, and an unparalleled education at one of America's premiere universities.

Founded in 1920, the college offers a wide range of programs uniquely combining advanced musical training with professionally oriented experiences and the rich resources of a leading research university. Active as award-winning professional performers, composers, and scholars, faculty members are committed to helping students develop their talents.

Additional Schools

Annandale-on-Hudson, New York

Parma, Italy

Boston, Massachusetts

Austin, Texas

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cleveland, Ohio

Los Angeles, California

Greencastle, Indiana

Berlin, Germany

Tallahassee, Florida

Coral Gables, Florida

Kent, Ohio

London, United Kingdom

New York, New York

Macon, Georgia

Boston, Massachusetts

Miami Beach, Florida

Oberlin, Ohio

Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Purchase, New York

New York, New York

Shanghai, China

Winchester, Virginia

Los Angeles, California

Amherst, Massachusetts

Lowell, Massachusetts

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Denton, Texas

Princeton, New Jersey