### SUMMARY

 A degree in Music Performance is not only a valuable choice, but often a needed first step for students aspiring to enter a career as a concert piano player, a concert cello player, or a concert oboe player. Interestingly, music performance is fairly common ranking as the 93rd most popular major. Last year, there were 4,280 music performance graduates. In-state tuition for music performance at private colleges is, on average, 4.2 times more expensive than their public fellows.

 There are 433 colleges which offer music performance. 433 colleges is fairly average in terms of the number of institutions which offer each degree. If you're hoping to surround yourself with other music performance undergrads, look at schools in California which have more students admitted to music performance than any other state. More generally, the top region to pursue music performance is in the Southeast region with [George Mason University](/colleges/george-mason-university), [James Madison University](/colleges/james-madison-university), and [Virginia Commonwealth University](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick for the best conference to study music performance is the Big Ten Conference with [Indiana University-Bloomington](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington), [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor), and [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) representing the conference. That being said, our choice for the best school for music performance is [Johns Hopkins University](/colleges/johns-hopkins-university). You might also want to check out our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The 'best' school does not mean it is the best school for you. There are lots more factors to think about when deciding on ​university. Features like campus amenities, transportation services, and food would refashion one's decision on where to go to school. At Authority, we have evaluated the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are intrigued by which music performance school has the top college campus, the winner is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university). If you are primarily interested in which school is home to the finest campus, we have an entire list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through government databases, professor reviews, student reviews, and more to compare all U.S. majors in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can find our comprehensive list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand, from that list, our choice for the college with the best student life for music performance is [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor). Curious why? Keep scrolling to learn more about our top selections. Many of our picks will probably shock you.

 If cost is a primary factor in your decision on where to go to college, you might consider avoiding [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspis our most expensive school for music performance, at least regarding out of state attendance. We do have a page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspschools that might put the cost of [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you might be interested to know that music performance is the 87th most expensive program in America, with an average bill of $40,600. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for music performance in the nation is South Carolina demonstrated by a tuition of $50,464 at Furman University. Even more broadly, the most costly region of the U.S. for music performance is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music) with a cost of $44,360, [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with a cost of $54,720, and [University of Massachusetts-Amherst](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst) with a cost of $35,112.

 Our cheapest region for music performance is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Brigham Young University-Idaho](/colleges/brigham-young-university-idaho) with a cost of $4,208, [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790, and [Utah Valley University](/colleges/utah-valley-university) with a cost of $15,872. On the bright side, the most affordable university for music performance is [Florida State University](/colleges/florida-state-university). Our full list of the most affordable schools can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can anticipate paying about $9,700 for a degree in music performance. That price balloons significantly to a median of $23,300 for the out-of-state public-school student. Our choice for the school with the best value for music performance: [Johns Hopkins University](/colleges/johns-hopkins-university). On this page you will see our comprehensive list on the colleges we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. That being said, this idea is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when it comes to in-state tuition, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for music performance students vary widely, but two years after completing the major students will regularly make around $53,800. While there can be a lot of variation in earnings potential; top earners can rake in up to $105,100. Straight out of university, the minimum earning positions within the music performance field make $28,000, which is an alright wage. The highest earning grads from music performance studied at [Carnegie Mellon University](/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university)&nbspand if you are looking for schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The overall diversity of music performance is on the higher end, falling within the 68th percentile of majors nationally. The college with the most composite diversity for music performance is [Carnegie Mellon University](/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list for the universities with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of Music Performance is only in the 69th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is even less in the 61st percentile. White students compose the largest share, 57%, of students studying music performance. Additionally, 51% of scholars pursuing a music performance degree are men.

 The median ranking of music performance professors is 4.3 stars, a score that is 8% above the average for every major; which is a fairly good score. If you are curious about the most popular music performance instructor nationally, take a look at Joseph Taylor from [James Madison University](/colleges/james-madison-university). It may be a shock, but the top ranked music performance instructors according to students come from [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music). If we including information beyond simply rankings it becomes clear that the university possessing the best professors for music performance is [Johns Hopkins University](/colleges/johns-hopkins-university). You can find an explanation of our evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with some of the finest examples of professors nationwide.

 Finally, the hardest college to get into for music performance is [Northwestern University](/colleges/northwestern-university). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we have a general page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). With that said, we hope you understand that considering academics from examples primarily derived from superlatives might cause issues. We encourage you to explore our other pages on different schools and explore some of our background articles on essential details to think about as your university search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Music performance is the 93rd most popular degree in America, with 4,280 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #94 [Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences](/rankings/best-colleges-for-cellular-biology-and-anatomical-sciences), and narrowly lost to #92 [Applied Mathematics](/rankings/best-colleges-for-applied-mathematics).

 The degree is offered at a total of 433 colleges across the nation, and is the 49th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 15% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that one half of colleges offering music performance are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most music performance graduates, largely led by [George Mason University](/colleges/george-mason-university), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Long Beach](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach) and [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more music performance graduates than [Central Arizona College](/colleges/central-arizona-college), which graduated 250 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study music performance). More students studied music performance as a percentage of total students at [Musicians Institute](/colleges/musicians-institute) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Music performance is the 87th most expensive major in the United States, with a median cost of $40,594 for the top 50 programs (just ahead of #88, [Science, Technology and Society](rankings/best-colleges-for-science-technology-and-society), with a median cost of $40,481).

 New England has the most expensive schools with top 50 music performance programs predominantly led by [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music) with an annual cost of $44,360. The most expensive state for music performance is South Carolina led by [Furman University](/colleges/furman-university).

 Public schools with solid programs by and large charge 75.96% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 42.6% less than the median private school. So make sure to take a look at public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive top 25 college for music performance is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), which is the 14th most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). It costs just $5,790 per year, but it is its music performance program is ranked #57. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable school, [Florida State University](/colleges/florida-state-university)  might be for you, ranked #14 with an in-state cost of just $4,022. Another more affordable choice would be #17, [California State University-Long Beach](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach) in Los Angeles County, CA with a cost of $5,742 for in-state students and $17,622 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Enrolling in college is a huge investment for most students. It's critical to be confident you get a high return on your investment. With that in mind, we hope the following career and income facts help you in deciding your major at college.

 The average Music Performance major brings home a first year salary of $27,647 per annum (bottom 12%). Further into their professional lives, they can generate as high as $105,086 per year down to $28,016, but average approximately $53,815. To put it in context, that is 39% more than the United States average.

 The most popular job title for a Music Performance graduate is Engineer, which by and large earn roughly $59,000; next are Software Engineer and Analyst, which predominantly make around $65,000 and $54,000 respectively.

 The highest grossing region for Music Performance graduates is The Plains. AR has the most well paid Music Performance alumni of any state. The highest grossing conference for Music Performance graduates is American Rivers Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Music Performance: Median Professor Rating: 4.3 / 5, which is Top 100.

 Professors frequently play a massive role in your college experience, no matter what you major in. A thoughtful professor might provide inspiration and set one up for future success. On the other hand, a poor professor can derail your education or even worse... flunk you!

 Music Performance professors boast a median student rating of 4.3 / 5, which puts these professors in 72nd place in the United States based on overall professor effectivness. For context that's 7.5% higher than the national median professor rating for all subjects. Professors of Music Performance just surpassed those from ["Creative Writing"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-creative-writing), whereas ["Ecology"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-ecology)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Music Performance.

 Now for some statistics about Music Performance professors. Colleges located in distant towns tend to have the best Music Performance professors. The Big Ten Conference has the highest rated Music Performance professors. The Mid East region has the highest rated Music Performance professors. Private schools tend to have higher rated Music Performance professors than public colleges. Finally, Tennessee has the highest rated Music Performance professors in America.

 Joseph Taylor, instructor at [James Madison University](/colleges/james-madison-university)&nbspin Harrisonburg, VA is the most popular Music Performance professor in the United States. Andrew Kirshner, instructor at [University of Michigan-Flint](/colleges/university-of-michigan-flint)&nbspin Flint, MI is the highest rated Music Performance professor in the US, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Want to know which schools have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often can be a supremely poignant adventure in one's life; it's a time for personal progress and evolution. Students attempt to learn who they are and develop the essential skills to become a successful member of society. But learning is not confined to the classroom - the interactions which one has with his peers, the nugget of wisdom gained from a tenured instructor, the exposure to a different vantage point. As such, a diverse student body tremendously improves what one gains from the time spent in school.

 Music Performance is a slightly more racially diverse focus than average\*. 57% of the nation's Music Performance majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(22%), latino students (11%), and asian students (7%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [University of Massachusetts-Lowell](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-lowell) located in Lowell, MA.

 Secondly, Music Performance is highly diverse with respect to gender, with 49% of students majoring in Music Performance identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [University of Nevada-Reno](/colleges/university-of-nevada-reno) in Reno, NV.

 Another important type of diversity is financial diversity. Music Performance is more fiscally diverse than 69% of focuses. 27% of its majors come from low income households, 16% are from homes taking in between $30,000 and $48,000 a year, and 27% grew up in homes who bring in above $110,000 per year. [University of North Carolina School of the Arts](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-school-of-the-arts) has the most financially diverse student body in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Music Performance. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Division III Independents is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 7%
* Black: 4%
* Latino: 11%
* White: 57%
* Other: 22%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 51%
* Female: 49%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 27%
* 30k - 48k: 16%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 15%
* Over 110k: 27%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 73%
* Out of State: 21%
* International: 5%


Northwestern University

Curtis Institute of Music

The Juilliard School

Ohio University-Main Campus

Vanderbilt University

Berklee College of Music

University of Southern California

New York University

Rice University

Cleveland Institute of Music

Johns Hopkins University

Manhattan School of Music

University of Rochester

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

University of California-Los Angeles

California Institute of the Arts

Carnegie Mellon University

University of Miami

The New England Conservatory of Music

Boston University

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Musicians Institute

Belmont University

Ohio Northern University

Oberlin College

Search for the best Music Performance colleges according to your filter parameters.

2023 Music Performance Salary

There are about 20,480 students enrolled in Music Performance in the USA.

SALARY