Best Music & Performing Arts Universities in United States 2026
197 universities in United States offering Music & Performing Arts programs, ranked on real data. How we rank.
Looking for the best universities to study Music & Performing Arts in United States? We rank 197 United States universities offering Music & Performing Arts programs, ordered only on real published data — QS World reputation, admission selectivity, graduation rates and graduate earnings.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology takes the No. 1 spot with an independent grade of A+ (5% acceptance, $143,372 median graduate earnings), followed by Stanford University and University of Chicago. Each university carries an independent ScholarshipsAds grade, so you can compare quality, selectivity, tuition and graduate outcomes at a glance.
Use this ranking to shortlist where to apply for a Music & Performing Arts degree in United States, then open any university for its full review, programs, tuition and scholarships.
1
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyA+
Cambridge, Massachusetts · United States · Global #1 · QS #1
5% acceptance 96% graduation $143,372 earnings 4,535 students
2
Stanford UniversityA+
Stanford, California · United States · Global #3 · QS #3
4% acceptance 92% graduation $124,080 earnings 7,554 students
3
University of ChicagoB+
Chicago, Illinois · United States · Global #9 · QS #10
77% acceptance 62% graduation $68,740 earnings 22,170 students
4
University of PennsylvaniaA+
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #12 · QS #13
5% acceptance 97% graduation $111,371 earnings 10,650 students
5
Yale UniversityA
New Haven, Connecticut · United States · Global #13 · QS #15
4% acceptance 96% graduation $100,533 earnings 6,758 students
6
Columbia UniversityA
New York, New York · United States · Global #17 · QS #19
4% acceptance 96% graduation $102,491 earnings 8,973 students
7
University of MichiganA+
Ann Arbor, Michigan · United States · Global #22 · QS #24
16% acceptance 93% graduation $83,648 earnings 34,177 students
8
Johns Hopkins UniversityA
Baltimore, Maryland · United States · Global #23 · QS #25
6% acceptance 94% graduation $87,555 earnings 5,693 students
9
Northwestern UniversityC+
Natchitoches, Louisiana · United States · Global #28 · QS #30
93% acceptance 43% graduation $47,021 earnings 5,519 students
10
New York UniversityB
New Paltz, New York · United States · Global #37 · QS #42
62% acceptance 72% graduation $58,073 earnings 6,086 students
11
Carnegie Mellon UniversityA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #46 · QS #54
12% acceptance 94% graduation $114,862 earnings 7,304 students
12
University of Texas at AustinA-
Austin, Texas · United States · Global #56 · QS #67
27% acceptance 89% graduation $75,121 earnings 42,855 students
13
University of Wisconsin–MadisonA-
Madison, Wisconsin · United States · Global #64 · QS #76
45% acceptance 90% graduation $73,792 earnings 36,902 students
14
Georgia Institute of TechnologyA+
Atlanta, Georgia · United States · Global #75 · QS #89
14% acceptance 94% graduation $102,772 earnings 18,785 students
15
Rice UniversityA-
Houston, Texas · United States · Global #81 · QS #95
8% acceptance 95% graduation $89,718 earnings 4,776 students
16
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillA-
Chapel Hill, North Carolina · United States · Global #87 · QS #101
15% acceptance 91% graduation $72,200 earnings 20,752 students
17
Boston UniversityB+
Boston, Massachusetts · United States · Global #97 · QS #114
11% acceptance 89% graduation $83,238 earnings 18,248 students
18
University of Southern CaliforniaC+
Costa Mesa, California · United States · Global #99 · QS #116
62% acceptance 57% graduation $59,541 earnings 1,933 students
19
Purdue UniversityC
Fort Wayne, Indiana · United States · Global #100 · QS #117
84% acceptance 36% graduation $45,872 earnings 5,484 students
20
University of California DavisB+
Davis, California · United States · Global #119 · QS #140
42% acceptance 86% graduation $80,838 earnings 32,253 students
21
University of RochesterC-
Rochester Hills, Michigan · United States · Global #133 · QS #155
98% acceptance 44% graduation $48,707 earnings 792 students
22
Michigan State UniversityB-
East Lansing, Michigan · United States · Global #136 · QS #158
85% acceptance 81% graduation $67,253 earnings 40,922 students
23
Emory UniversityB+
Atlanta, Georgia · United States · Global #138 · QS #161
11% acceptance 91% graduation $80,137 earnings 7,298 students
24
Case Western Reserve UniversityB
Cleveland, Ohio · United States · Global #139 · QS #162
37% acceptance 87% graduation $87,989 earnings 6,437 students
25
University of PittsburghB
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #142 · QS #165
58% acceptance 86% graduation $66,125 earnings 20,370 students
26
University of MinnesotaC+
Moorhead, Minnesota · United States · Global #156 · QS #188
59% acceptance 57% graduation $50,527 earnings 3,072 students
27
Dartmouth CollegeA-
Hanover, New Hampshire · United States · Global #160 · QS #192
5% acceptance 96% graduation $97,434 earnings 4,541 students
28
Vanderbilt UniversityB+
Nashville, Tennessee · United States · Global #183 · QS #219
6% acceptance 94% graduation $91,565 earnings 7,208 students
29
University of VirginiaA-
Charlottesville, Virginia · United States · Global #189 · QS #230
17% acceptance 96% graduation $86,863 earnings 17,597 students
30
U
University of Massachusetts AmherstB-
Amherst, Massachusetts · United States · Global #200 · QS #248
60% acceptance 83% graduation $71,631 earnings 23,671 students
31
Georgetown UniversityB+
Washington, Washington, D.C. · United States · Global #201 · QS #249
13% acceptance 95% graduation $103,494 earnings 7,569 students
32
U
University of Colorado BoulderC+
Boulder, Colorado · United States · Global #203 · QS #252
78% acceptance 74% graduation $69,738 earnings 31,939 students
33
University of ArizonaC+
Tucson, Arizona · United States · Global #214 · QS #270
86% acceptance 68% graduation $59,979 earnings 42,537 students
34
North Carolina State UniversityB
Raleigh, North Carolina · United States · Global #234 · QS #301
42% acceptance 85% graduation $68,758 earnings 27,371 students
35
I
Indiana University BloomingtonB-
Bloomington, Indiana · United States · Global #244 · QS #312
78% acceptance 80% graduation $63,742 earnings 37,806 students
36
Northeastern UniversityB
Oakland, California · United States · Global #263 · QS #343
17% acceptance $92,538 earnings 464 students
38
University of KansasC+
Lawrence, Kansas · United States · Global #286 · QS #388
93% acceptance 69% graduation $61,945 earnings 21,217 students
39
U
University at BuffaloB-
Buffalo, New York · United States · Global #287 · QS #389
74% acceptance 75% graduation $70,814 earnings 20,112 students
40
Colorado State UniversityC
Fort Collins, Colorado · United States · Global #305 · QS #431
89% acceptance 67% graduation $60,543 earnings 25,538 students
41
Tulane UniversityB-
New Orleans, Louisiana · United States · Global #307 · QS #437
14% acceptance 86% graduation $63,268 earnings 7,767 students
42
Brandeis UniversityB-
Waltham, Massachusetts · United States · Global #319 · QS #455
41% acceptance 86% graduation $77,231 earnings 3,618 students
43
University of IowaC+
Iowa City, Iowa · United States · Global #321 · QS #457
84% acceptance 75% graduation $64,762 earnings 22,264 students
44
Florida State UniversityB
Tallahassee, Florida · United States · Global #329 · QS #475
24% acceptance 86% graduation $61,675 earnings 32,212 students
45
University of MissouriD+
Joplin, Missouri · United States · Global #330 · QS #476
97% acceptance 42% graduation $42,620 earnings 3,019 students
46
Iowa State UniversityC+
Ames, Iowa · United States · Global #342 · QS #498
89% acceptance 75% graduation $63,386 earnings 25,367 students
48
University of DelawareC-
Dover, Delaware · United States · Global #364 · QS #543
47% acceptance 39% graduation $49,307 earnings 4,398 students
49
University of TennesseeC-
Cookeville, Tennessee · United States · Global #368 · QS #551
76% acceptance 58% graduation $48,501 earnings 8,698 students
50
Clark UniversityD+
Atlanta, Georgia · United States · Global #396 · QS #613
64% acceptance 49% graduation $42,712 earnings 3,603 students
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