Prime 15 Schools for Music within the US
Right here is our checklist of the 15 finest faculties for music within the US. We’ve compiled our checklist based mostly on the typical opinions of a number of publications, information shops, and voices throughout the music business at present.
1. Berklee Faculty of Music (Boston, MA)
On the prime of our checklist is the Berklee Faculty of Music, positioned in Boston, MA. The faculty was based in 1945, and was the primary music faculty in the USA to combine jazz into its curriculum. This faculty is distinctive amongst most of the conservatories on our checklist due to its sturdy give attention to up to date music versus classical music.
Berklee persistently ranks among the many prime 10 US conservatories, and can be one of many largest colleges on our checklist. The faculty provides a spread of applications, together with certificates, bachelor’s, and grasp’s levels. Common program choices embody music remedy, composition, efficiency, music trainer schooling, songwriting, music administration, and basic music efficiency.
Often known as the “world’s premiere studying lab for the music of at present—and tomorrow,” Berklee has an extended checklist of profitable alumni, together with quite a few Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners. From business legends resembling Howard Shore, Quincy Jones, and Diana Krall to at present’s heavy hitters like Charlie Puth, John Mayer, and Kenny Beats, Berklee alumni have dominated the business for many years.
2. Juilliard Faculty (New York, NY)
The Juilliard Faculty, established in 1905, is extensively thought to be probably the most prestigious music conservatory within the US, and with good cause. Located in New York Metropolis’s Lincoln Heart and famend for its rigorous requirements, Juilliard has produced quite a few household-name musicians, together with Yo Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, and Miles Davis.
The varsity provides quite a lot of music levels, resembling Bachelor of Music, Grasp’s of Music, and Doctorate of Music Arts, in addition to mixture levels. Admission to Juilliard is extremely aggressive and requires an in-person audition, with an acceptance fee of merely 7%.
Though Julliard can be extensively identified for dance and dramatic arts, almost all of Juilliard’s college students are music majors. Juilliard’s first-year college students should reside in scholar housing, which is principally positioned within the neighborhood of Lincoln Heart. For those who like on-campus dwelling and small class sizes with tip-notch expertise, Juilliard is likely to be the place for you.
3. Curtis Institute of Music – Philadelphia, PA
Third on our checklist of the perfect faculties for music is the spectacular Curtis Institute of Music. Based in 1924, the varsity has maintained a world fame for producing top-tier expertise and lots of distinguished alumni, resembling composers Gian Carlo Menotti, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, and Nino Rota.
Curtis is well known as probably the most selective conservatory in the USA, with candidates required to attend reside auditions and solely 2% of candidates admitted yearly. The whole variety of undergraduate college students is often round 150, all of whom obtain a full-tuition scholarship with out housing prices lined.
The intensive musical schooling offered by Curtis has been profitable in launching college students into profitable musical careers. The elite college leads all 4 campus ensembles, through which college students can take part. For those who’re on the lookout for a good music faculty to launch your music profession, it’s best to definitely contemplate making use of to Curtis.
4. Indiana College Jacobs Faculty of Music (Bloomington, IN)
The Jacobs Faculty of Music is at the moment the biggest accredited music faculty in the USA and boasts a formidable fame. The conservatory is a part of Indiana College Bloomington, and was based in 1921.
Like most prestigious music colleges, a reside audition is required as part of the appliance course of. College students are required to take part in no less than one ensemble every semester, with all kinds of choir, band, and orchestra choices obtainable. Jacobs additionally provides a spread of music levels together with Bachelor of Music, Grasp of Music, Grasp of Arts, and extra.
Jacobs has persistently ranked among the many finest faculties for music schooling majors as a consequence of its unbelievable workers (which incorporates a number of internationally famend performers), applications, and profitable alumni. Notable alumni embody the esteemed violinist Joshua Bell, conductor Leonard Slatkin, songwriter/producer Booker T. Jones, amongst many others.
5. Manhattan Faculty of Music (New York, NY)
The Manhattan Faculty of Music is one other wonderful selection for music schooling, particularly if you happen to’re a jazz musician. Established in 1917, the varsity is especially identified for its prestigious jazz division, which has produced many noteworthy alumni, together with Herbie Hancock, Harry Connick Jr., Hugh Masakela, and Herbie Mann.
Nonetheless, the conservatory provides distinctive applications throughout the board, all of that are run by a top-notch college consisting of members from the New York Metropolis Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and Lincoln Heart Jazz Orchestra.
All college students on the Manhattan Faculty of Music are required to take programs in music idea, music historical past, and quite a lot of efficiency arts to construct a stable basis throughout disciplines. The varsity gives numerous diploma choices, together with Doctorate of Music Arts, Grasp of Music in Jazz Arts, Classical Research, Orchestra Efficiency, and different standard fields.
The varsity is much less aggressive than our prime 4, with an acceptance fee of about 42%. First-year college students are mandated to reside in on-campus scholar housing, and most college students obtain some type of monetary support.
6. Yale Faculty of Music (New Haven, CT)
The Yale Faculty of Music is a graduate program that’s extremely aggressive to get into, and admitted college students can attend tuition-free due to a latest $100,000,000.00 endowment. This system is taken into account among the best within the nation, with acclaimed college members, resembling composer Martin Bresnick, clarinetist David Shifrin, and cellist Aldo Parisot.
Whereas Yale provides music programs for undergraduates, the curriculum on the Yale Faculty of Music primarily supposed for graduate college students solely. The varsity is understood for providing top-tier applications in a number of fields, together with music composition, percussion, strings, winds, and brass efficiency.
A lot of Yale’s college students go on to realize skilled success within the music business and are well-connected because of the faculty’s proximity to New York. In truth, Yale has a big variety of lively alumni in skilled music positions worldwide. For those who’re contemplating graduate faculty in music, the Yale Faculty of Music is value trying out.
7. Bard Faculty-Conservatory of Music – Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
The Bard Faculty Conservatory of Music is located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and was established in 2005. The varsity’s undergraduate program is 5 years in size, throughout which college students can earn each a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in a non-musical topic.
The school at Bard is famend and lots of members educate at different prestigious music colleges like Juilliard and Curtis Institute. Bard’s applications are rigorous, however are identified for offering ample alternatives for performances.
The varsity provides undergraduate applications in customary orchestral and chamber devices, and composition, and standard graduate applications embody conducting, collaborative piano, and vocal arts.
8. New England Conservatory (Boston, MA)
The New England Conservatory of Music is positioned in Boston, and has been thought-about one of many largest conservatories located in an city setting since its institution in 1867. The Boston Symphony Orchestra has shut ties with the Conservatory, and Boston has a thriving music neighborhood with many regional orchestras and efficiency ensembles.
Admissions into the Conservatory is reasonably aggressive, with a 36% acceptance fee. The most well-liked applications embody composition, jazz, and strings. The Conservatory is famend for its huge Jordan Corridor, a Nationwide Historic Landmark that’s thought-about one of many world’s most acoustically-perfect efficiency areas.
The Conservatory can be identified for its mentorship alternative. It lately acquired favorable evaluations for its Entrepreneurial Musicianship program, which helps college students set up profitable careers within the music business.
9. Eastman Faculty of Music (Rochester, NY)
The College of Rochester’s Eastman Faculty of Music, though a pure conservatory, provides college students the chance to take educational programs or a minor by way of the College of Rochester. The establishment persistently ranks as one of many top-rated conservatories within the nation, with a extremely selective acceptance fee of underneath 20%.
Eastman can be one of the costly conservatories within the US, nonetheless, virtually all college students obtain a scholarship to attend. Eastman is well-known for its demanding program, particularly its graduate program, which attracts many potential college students from different conservatories.
In case your ambitions are to play in a serious orchestra, Eastman would be the place for you. The varsity has produced quite a few profitable alumni, and its former college students are current in each main orchestra within the nation.
10. Peabody Conservatory-Johns Hopkins College
The Peabody Conservatory is a part of the Peabody Institute, which is affiliated with Johns Hopkins College and shares the establishment’s esteemed fame. Situated in Baltimore, Peabody has been offering skilled music schooling for over 150 years, and has nurtured many completed musicians.
The varsity locations an emphasis on neighborhood involvement and management expertise along with music schooling. In contrast to different elite conservatories, Peabody values collaboration over competitors amongst its college students.
Levels provided at Peabody embody Bachelor of Music, Grasp of Music, Grasp of Artwork, and efficiency diplomas. Common applications embody efficiency, jazz efficiency, pc music, music schooling, music idea, and recording arts and sciences.
11. Oberlin Conservatory of Music – Oberlin, OH
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is the oldest conservatory in the USA, and is a novel faculty related to Oberlin Faculty. The Conservatory provides two diploma applications: the standard, four-year Bachelor of Music, and a rigorous five-year dual-degree program along side Oberlin Faculty.
Upon completion of the five-year program, college students obtain each a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin Faculty and a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory. Oberlin is well-known for its applications in up to date and baroque music, in addition to its distinctive TIMARA program.
Situated in rural Ohio about an hour southwest of Cleveland, the Conservatory has fewer than 600 college students and has an acceptance fee of about 34%. Oberlin has graduates in each main ensemble in the USA, and it maintains a wonderful fame on the earth of music.
12. College of Michigan Faculty of Music, Theatre & Dance
The College of Michigan Faculty of Music, Theatre & Dance is positioned in Ann Arbor, MI and is famend for its musical theatre applications. Its notable alumni embody Madonna, Iggy Pop, and Aaron Dworkin, in addition to established actors like Luci Liu, James Earl Jones, and extra. Graduates are additionally identified for his or her success on Broadway and in symphonies world wide.
The establishment’s excessive program scores are complemented by an unbelievable roster of completed workers. Some notable lecturers embody cellist Richard Aaron and violinist Matt Albert, who each have an extended checklist of awards and acclamations.
One other draw to the varsity is its state-of-the-art music manufacturing facility which is on the market to college students. All-in-all, the varsity is taken into account to be among the best state-sponsored music colleges within the nation. For those who’re fascinated with musical theatre, it’s best to definitely apply to UMichigan.
13. Rice College Shepherd Faculty of Music – Houston, TX
Rice College’s Shepherd Faculty of Music has a world fame for its world-class music program and has a long-standing custom of admitting gifted worldwide college students. As one of many main music faculties within the south, Rice is within the firm of different prestigious establishments, such because the College of North Texas and the College of Texas at Austin.
The school at Rice contains a number of the most distinguished music lecturers on the earth, resembling famend french hornist William VerMuelen, trumpet pedagogues Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer, violist James Dunham, and bassoonist Benjamin Kamins, amongst many others.
Rice is extremely selective and has an acceptance fee of a mere 12%. Rice additionally provides tons of efficiency alternatives because it presents over 400 concert events yearly, together with two large-scale opera productions. Graduates from Rice’s music program recurrently safe prime positions in world-class orchestras and faculty professorships.
14. College of Southern California – Thornton Faculty of Music (Los Angeles, CA)
As we close to the top of our checklist, the caliber of the establishments remains to be extremely excessive. USC-Thornton is without doubt one of the prime music colleges within the US, and boasts spectacular statistics and alumni. The varsity is very well-known for its distinctive applications in composition, cello, and classical guitar.
Relating to workers, USC has assembled a real dream group. Notable college members embody Grammy Award-winning artists Amy Andersson and Andrae Alexander, legendary movie music composer Pete Anthony, and lots of extra. USC is extensively thought to be among the best colleges on the earth for movie music composition, alongside NYU and Berklee.
USC-Thornton is positioned in Los Angeles and provides college students a super surroundings for music research and observe. College students fascinated with efficiency, and particularly movie composition ought to contemplate USC as a best choice.
15. College of North Texas Faculty of Music
The College of North Texas (UNT) is without doubt one of the largest accredited music conservatories on the earth. It boasts a variety of excellent applications, and it was the primary establishment on earth to supply a level in jazz efficiency.
In the present day, UNT’s jazz program is extremely regarded. Its premier ensemble, the One O’Clock Lab Band, has earned seven Grammy nominations since its inception within the Nineteen Seventies. UNT presents over 1,000 performances yearly, giving college students extra alternatives for efficiency than every other faculty on our checklist.
Graduates of UNT have gone on to play in most of the world’s main skilled ensembles and maintain extremely sought-after educating positions throughout the globe. For those who’re a jazz musician, UNT is likely to be the proper place for you.