Berklee is the largest independent music school in the world and the leader in contemporary music education. Graduates from their programs are world-renowned for their accomplishments and include hundreds of GRAMMY Award winners.

Besides (instrumental and vocal) Performance, popular majors include Music Business, Film Scoring, Music Production and Engineering, and Songwriting. They also offer Music Education, Music Therapy, Composition, Contemporary Writing and Production, Professional Music, and Electronic Production.

Students can combine the majors into a dual major that takes five years. Berklee is one of the few schools that will allow you to choose the computer as a musical instrument (i.e., Electronic Digital Instrument or EDI).

Berklee also has graduate programs in New York City and a satellite campus in Valencia, Spain. There’s probably no school in the world that offers more online and in-person options for studying music, including dozens of degree, diploma, and certificate programs.

When people think of a classical music conservatory, Julliard in New York City is perhaps the first name that comes to mind. There’s no question that Julliard is one of the top music schools in the world, and it boasts an impressive cadre of teachers and alumni. Students who attend Julliard can be assured that they are studying with the best of the best and can look forward to an illustrious career in music.

In Boston, Massachusetts, NEC offers dual-degree programs with Harvard and Tufts University, so student-scholars can major in music, sciences, or humanities while also earning a music degree (after applying to and being admitted to both schools).

NEC is one of the best music schools in the world and enjoys a strong reputation for the high quality of its faculty and graduates. Many of the teachers perform in the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, or Boston Ballet, which are all located close by.

A part of the Berklee universe, Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BCB) is a small but illustrious school which offers cutting-edge training in music, acting, and dance. Based on solid pedagogical theory and with highly experienced faculty, BCB’s programs are unique and offer access to the wider array of courses at Berklee.

The focus is on individual instruction and guidance in preparing students for fulfilling careers as top performers and educators.

Curtis Institute, in Philadelphia, is often ranked with Julliard as being one of the top schools for classical music. Although much smaller than Julliard, students accepted at Curtis all receive full a scholarship plus a stipend for living costs, which makes Curtis an attractive choice. As with any top music school, admission to Curtis is highly competitive, but you should never let that stop you from applying.

Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Manhattan School of Music has distinguished itself over many decades as one of the world’s premier conservatories for Classical music, Jazz, and musical theater.

Linked with the creative energy of New York City, students have opportunities to attend and perform in world-class concerts while rubbing elbows with some of the world’s greatest musicians and entertainers. MSM offers summer programs and pre-college along with a smorgasbord of diploma and degree options.

Located in Los Angeles, the Thornton School of Music is housed in the University of Southern California, close to the heart of the music and film industries. USC specializes in cross-genre and interdisciplinary studies in the arts, and students get to work with leading educators and practitioners while building a network of professional contacts for a future career.

Oberlin College in Ohio is a prestigious music school with a storied history, offering a liberal arts education on a beautiful campus in a rural setting. In 1835, Oberlin became one of the first colleges in the US to admit African Americans, and is also America’s oldest coeducational liberal arts college, admitting women since 1837.

Oberlin conservatory is small, with about 500 students, has a faculty-student ratio of 6:1, and offers many fields of private study, as well as double-degrees.

A part of the University of Miami, the Frost School of Music is famous for its programs in Performance, Studio Jazz, Composition, Music Industry, Music Engineering Technology, Music Therapy, and Music Education. Students can earn Bachelor of Music (B.M.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), plus certificates, or a 5-year dual degree. They also offer minor tracks in many music subject areas.

Offered only through Frost, the Henry Mancini Institute provides emerging artists with unique performance, composing and arranging opportunities. The school is consistently ranked as a top-10 music school in the US.

NYU actually has two music schools, the other being the Tisch School of the Arts. Steinhardt’s wide-ranging college music programs include Performance, Composition, Music Technology, Arts Education and Therapy, Music Business and Arts Administration. NYU is a prestigious name in music education and connects to just about every facet of the global music industry with its international presence in New York City. NYU also has a campus in Shanghai, China.

A Classical music conservatory housed in the University of Rochester; Eastman is in the Western Tier of New York State. A small school offering intensive training from top-tier faculty, Eastman has also produced some of the world’s greatest Jazz artists.

The Cleveland Institute of Music focuses on Classical music. Students can prepare as teachers of the Suzuki Method or earn a double major combining Performance, Music Theory, Composition, or Eurhythmics. There is also a partnership with Case Western Reserve University for students who want to take non-music academic courses in sciences and humanities, and even a 5-year dual degree where graduates can earn degrees in music and another subject.

Located in Los Angeles County, CalArts houses The Herb Alpert School of Music (note that there is also a Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA). Opportunities for collaborations with musicians, filmmakers, animators, dancers, theater directors, actors, and writers abound at CalArts, where a cross-disciplinary approach is valued.

Students can study and perform in just about any genre or style of music. Specializations exist in Composition and Experimental Sound Practices, Experimental Pop, Instrumental Arts, Jazz, Music Technology, Performer-Composer, Voice Arts, and World Music Performance.

Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University is the only Ivy League school to be included in our top music schools list. Better known for its graduate programs and especially in Composition, Yale offers an undergraduate certificate in Performance plus a combined Bachelor of Arts/Master of Music program that requires simultaneous acceptance to the university undergraduate program and the music school.

The UC College-Conservatory is a full-fledged conservatory program offering music, theater arts, acting, and dance. There are over 100 concentrate areas students can focus on, including Opera, Jazz, Instrumental Studies, Composition, Media Production, Music Education, Choral Studies, Ensembles, Commercial Music, Wind Studies, Arts Administration, Musicology, and more.

Located in Greenwich Village of Manhattan, Mannes provides an innovative cross-disciplinary approach to teaching music, focusing on whole-person citizen education in addition to gaining mastery of the technical aspects while training artists to engage with the world around them through their art.

Students at the New School benefit from partnerships with leading cultural organizations and institutions, such as the New York Choral Society, The Buffalo and Montclair Orchestras, the Alsop Family Foundation, The Frick Museum, Martha Graham Dance Company, and participate in concerts and events at NYC legendary venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The University of North Texas (UNT) College of Music has the reputation of being one of the finest comprehensive music schools in the country. Students can choose to earn a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in music. They have instrumental and vocal studies that can be combined with a concentrate in Performance, Composition, Jazz Studies, Music History, Musicology, or Music Education.

The Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington offers rigorous academic training with numerous music areas to choose from, including Performance, Audio Engineering, Composition, Historical Performance, Collaborative Piano, Scoring for Visual Media, Orchestral Conducting, Music Education, Jazz Studies, Music Theory, Musicology, Choral Studies, and Wind Conducting. Instruments taught include harp, organ, brass, woodwinds, piano, percussion, strings, guitar, and voice.

The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins trains musical artists for future careers as industry leaders according to its educational philosophy and pioneering “Breakthrough Curriculum.”

Their Bachelor of Music offers students concentrates in Performance, Jazz Performance, Composition, Computer Music, Recording Arts and Sciences, Historical Performance, Music Education and Music for New Media.

They also have an undergraduate certificate (diploma), plus the option for a dual degree with music and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.). There are master’s degrees in Acoustics for Architectural Design, Theory Pedagogy, Recording Arts and Sciences, and minors in Liberal Arts and Music Business.

Carnegie-Mellon’s music school focus is on excellence in Ensemble Performance, with one-to-one interaction and teaching from world-class faculty in excellent facilities. The undergraduate programs also include Piano, Vocal Performance, Composition, Electronic Music, Music and Technology, and Interdisciplinary Studies. There are also music minors and a double major which allows students to add a second major partway through their program of study.

With these interdisciplinary degrees, students can combine with a second program in Science, Arts, or Humanities.

The SFCM offers a 2-year certificate and a 4-year Bachelor of Music program with unique programs that combine rigorous academics with individual study on an instrument and real-world performance opportunities to prepare students for professional artist careers.

Instruments offered include voice, guitar, woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion, and keyboards, and there are tracks for Performance, Music Technology, Composition, and American Roots Music.

Located on the northern shore of Long Island, New York, Stony Brook offers an interdisciplinary approach to teaching music in a university setting. The Bachelor of Arts in Music program provides a creative, wide-ranging education in music History, Theory, Musicianship, Keyboard, and Performance.

Since 2017 they have housed the Emerson String Quartet Institute, and access to New York City via public transport means students can take advantage of the rich cultural offerings in the Big Apple.

The Musicians Institute (MI) College of Contemporary Music is a modern, for-profit college located in Hollywood. Their flexible programs for musicians have degree and non-degree options, including a Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, and Master of Music degree. The focus is on Performance, Music Production and Recording, and Music Industry. They also offer a slew of online courses, and many teachers work in the music industry in and around Los Angeles.

Ithaca College, located in the heart of the gorgeous Finger Lakes region of New York State (the small city of Ithaca is also home to Cornell University) was originally founded as a music conservatory in 1892.

The School of Music, Theater, and Dance at Ithaca offers a broad liberal arts education as well as conservatory-style training to college music students. Students receive personalized guidance on how to balance academic, artistic, and personal challenges as they define their career goals and learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

A self-proclaimed “Christian Identity” university close to Music City (Nashville, Tennessee), Belmont is home to the new Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Belmont has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a major in General Music or with emphasis on Musical Theater, and students can also study Musical Theater for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) or Bachelor of Music (B.M.).

Majors leading to a B.M. also include Performance, Commercial Music, Music Education, Music Technology, Composition, Music Therapy, Church Music, Piano Pedagogy, and Music Theory. They also have minors in music and music students can take an outside minor.

USC Thornton School of Music, nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, is known for its programs across classical, jazz, and popular music. Students enjoy access to the exciting LA music scene and are able to take advantage of the university’s connections to people across the entertainment industry. Top-tier faculty and extensive performance opportunities make USC a competitive option for learning music.

If you’re looking for a college experience in a real college town, look into The University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There, you can study music performance, composition, and music education. UMich’s wide range of student ensembles and performance opportunities, as well as its state-of-the-art facilities and resources, makes it a top choice for aspiring musicians–and a great place to spend four years as a young person.

For a supportive musical community and excellent faculty, look into attending the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Study performance, composition, and music education on a lively campus in a small, but culturally rich, midwestern city.

The University of Arizona’s School of Music combines a strong academic foundation with an especially warm community–and very warm weather. Arizona’s focus on personalized learning ensures that you will get the most out of your individual course work. Sunny Tuscon is also a wonderful place to go to school!

You’ll experience music in the mountains if you decide to attend The Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Many of the musicians on the faculty also work regularly and professionally. You’ll have access to teachers who are doing what you want to do. Study performance, composition, and music education within this beautiful community.

Hundreds of great musicians have come out of the Georgia music scene. Join their ranks and attend Georgia State University’s School of Music at its Atlanta-based campus. Situated in one of the hearts of the American music industry, the school offers a diverse range of programs in performance, music education, and composition. You’ll also have the opportunity to join one of many student ensembles.

The University of South Carolina’s School of Music in Columbia, South Carolina is a supportive environment that can work wonders for your music education. The program has a strong emphasis on both individual growth and collaborative musical experiences alike. The dedicated faculty and many performance opportunities make this a competitive option for music students.

Striking a good balance between artistic and academic development, The University of Iowa School of Music offers a nurturing environment with a strong emphasis on both disciplines. Get to know Iowa City as you explore potential degrees in performance, composition, and music education. Sometimes, staying out of a major metropolis can be a great way to focus on your craft, so don’t count this out just because of its location!

If you are looking for your college experience to be especially thrilling, you may want to explore opportunities for attending college for music abroad. Studying in a different country not only opens doors to diverse musical traditions and professional networks, but also offers a chance to immerse yourself in a new culture. Whether you’re looking for unique opportunities or simply seeking a fresh perspective, pursuing music studies internationally can be both rewarding and enjoyable.

The Royal College of Music is a prestigious institution known for its world-class teaching and performance opportunities. It is one of the best programs for classical music anywhere. You can learn composition, conducting, performance, and more. Students also benefit from connections with major orchestras and ensembles in London, one of the classiest places on the planet for entertainment. The RCM also has a rich tradition of nurturing future leaders in the music industry, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and John Williams.

Yes, another London spot! For training in both classical and contemporary music in London, The Royal Academy of Music is a fantastic option. The school combines a distinguished history with close connections to the world of professional music. On top of composition and performance, you can specialize in modern techniques from classical to jazz and musical theater.

The Hochschule für Musik und Theater München is an exciting place to learn music, both classical and contemporary. Rigorous and academic, the school offers students access to an incredibly high caliber of teaching and an expansive musical community in and around Munich. Also, being on mainland Europe means travel is easy and relatively cheap, which is often a bonus for many young students.

Study music, drama, and dance at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, which has top-notch programs in all three disciplines. Located in Glasgow, students benefit from a thriving cultural scene and dozens of performance opportunities. It’s not London, but Scotland has its own thriving arts scene that’s worth checking out–even if you don’t want to go to college there.

Situated in the capital of Germany, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin offers specialized programs in performance, composition, and conducting. It is known for its emphasis on contemporary music, though the conducting program is amazing as well. Study from working professionals and network in one of the most interesting music cities in the world.

The Conservatoire de Paris is one of the most prestigious music schools in France–all of Europe, really. The conservatoire’s alumni include some of the most celebrated names of all time, such as Claude Debussy, Brigitte Bardot, and Gabriel Fauré. Earn an exceptional education in classical and contemporary music while studying in a city renowned for its rich musical heritage and cultural life.

That’s right, Finland! The country’s premier music conservatory is The Sibelius Academy, best known for its innovative approach to music education. Students benefit from Helsinki’s notable arts scene and the academy’s strong international connections. It’s a bit out of the way, but sometimes it’s those options that can be the most rewarding and life-changing. You just have to give it a chance.

AI has dramatically transformed music colleges and universities, changing many things–especially how students learn. Today, AI-driven tools help with everything from composition to practice and personalized feedback, making everyone’s musical education more interactive and now more tailored than ever to each student’s needs. These advancements allow those learning to refine their skills more effectively and engage with their craft in new and innovative ways.

On top of that, AI has made the application process simpler, with intelligent systems that match students to programs suited to their talents and career goals. Artificial intelligence is making what used to be a complex procedure much easier for all involved.

Glancing ahead, AI could bring even more exciting changes to music education. We might one day be introduced to more advanced teaching tools that provide deeper insights and even more personalized instruction. Enhanced virtual collaboration platforms could also make it easier for students to work with peers and instructors around the world, breaking down traditional barriers. As AI continues to evolve, it could further redefine music education, opening up new opportunities for immersive learning and changing how students and institutions connect.