The best colleges are already hard to get into, but top performing arts and music schools are often especially selective and intensive. If you are a high school student serious about a music career, you may already have an idea of where you want to go to college. Below, we present several of the top respected music schools and conservatories in the world, where students can receive strong education, mentorship, and performance training:
Top Music Schools in the World
1. The Juilliard School
One of the most well-known performing arts schools in the world, Juilliard is based in New York City and trains gifted performing arts students through intensive education and professional-level performance opportunities.
Students interested in earning a Juilliard music degree can choose among areas such as Instruments, Vocal Arts, Jazz Studies, Historical Performance, Composition, and Conducting. These areas include undergraduate and graduate degree and diploma options, including the Doctor of Musical Arts in selected fields. Whichever path they choose, students are regularly given opportunities to perform in front of an audience, an aspect of the Juilliard education that is highly valued.
2. Berklee College of Music
Berklee is made up of Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. This section focuses on Berklee College of Music, which offers programs through Boston, New York City, Valencia, Spain, and Berklee Online. It is widely known for contemporary music, music business, production, technology, jazz, and performance-focused training.
The college offers music programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate students can pursue Bachelor of Music programs across many majors or selected Bachelor of Arts options. Graduate students can pursue master’s programs in areas such as global jazz, music business, screen scoring, music production, and creative media and technology, depending on the campus or online format.
3. Yale University
Yale University is among the top universities for music and is consistently associated with strong academic and artistic training. The Yale School of Music is the only separate school of music in the Ivy League and offers professional graduate-level music training in a highly selective environment.
Yale School of Music offers degrees and programs including the Master of Music, Master of Musical Arts, Doctor of Musical Arts, Artist Diploma, Certificate in Performance, and the B.A./M.M. program. Undergraduate students who want to enter the B.A./M.M. program must be admitted to Yale College and successfully audition for the School of Music. Yale also has a separate Department of Music for academic music study, including doctoral research.
4. New England Conservatory of Music
- Study Program
- Location: USA | Degree/s Offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral degrees, and diplomas
As the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States, the New England Conservatory of Music has established itself as one of the most esteemed music schools in the world. Students are exposed to first-rate education and training from distinguished faculty members while studying in a dynamic, diverse, and performance-oriented environment.
NEC offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, diploma, and certificate options across areas such as classical instrumental performance, vocal performance, composition, jazz, conducting, contemporary musical arts, and music theory. Double-degree options with Harvard College and the College of the Holy Cross allow students with a passion for both music and another academic field to pursue both interests.
5. University of Southern California
Founded in 1884, the University of Southern California‘s Thornton School of Music is one of the university’s long-standing professional schools and is a highly respected music school in Los Angeles. It offers conservatory-style training within a large research university environment.
USC Thornton offers undergraduate and graduate programs across areas such as classical performance, composition, contemporary music, jazz, music industry, screen scoring, conducting, music teaching and learning, early music, and arts leadership. Students can pursue Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, master’s, doctoral, certificate, and diploma pathways depending on the program.
6. Curtis Institute of Music
- Study Program
- Location: USA | Degree/s Offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, and diplomas
The Curtis Institute of Music is one of the top schools for music and is known for its small student body and world-class music education. Because of its size, each student receives close attention from faculty members and intensive performance training.
All accepted students at Curtis receive merit-based, full-tuition scholarships, although students should still plan for living expenses and other costs. Curtis offers programs in areas such as composition, conducting, keyboard, guitar, orchestral instruments, voice, and opera, with pathways including the Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, diplomas, and certificates.
7. The Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1822, is Britain’s oldest conservatoire and one of the oldest music conservatoires in the world. It aims to move music forward by helping generations of musicians create, connect, and collaborate. The academy is known for its strong curriculum and notable alumni, including Elton John and Felicity Lott.
The academy has a wide range of departments and study areas. Undergraduate students can pursue the Bachelor of Music, while postgraduate options include master’s degrees, advanced diplomas, and research degrees. Students can focus on performance, composition, conducting, musical theater, jazz, opera, and other specializations depending on the program.
The art of music involves both personal skill and knowledge. If you are passionate about pursuing a musical career, getting the right education could help you move ahead in the industry. A music career can be challenging, but it can also be worth pursuing if you are committed to developing your musical skills.
8. Royal College of Music
Established by royal charter in the late 19th century, the Royal College of Music in South Kensington, London, has become one of the leading music education providers in the world. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and research-level training in areas such as composition, conducting, performance, music education, and performance science.
The Royal College of Music, also known as RCM, has a vibrant student body that includes international students. Over the years, it has educated many significant figures in music, including John Ireland, Sir James Galway, Julian Lloyd Webber, and guitarist John Williams.
9. Indiana University Bloomington
With more than 70 academic programs, study options from undergraduate degrees to doctoral study and beyond, and more than 1,100 performances each year, studying at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington can be an active and intensive experience. Students are exposed to many performance opportunities throughout their academic lives in their areas of expertise.
The school combines conservatory-style training with the resources of a large public research university. Its programs cover performance, composition, conducting, music education, jazz, music theory, musicology, opera, ballet, and other areas. Studying here can open multiple opportunities for students who want to build a future as artists, teachers, scholars, or music professionals.
10. Conservatoire de Paris
- Study Program
- Location: France | Degree/s Offered: Bachelor’s-level, master’s, and doctoral pathways
The Conservatoire de Paris is one of the oldest music conservatories in the world. Founded in 1795 in the wake of the French Revolution, it is located in France’s capital city and combines long-standing traditions with innovation in music education.
The conservatoire admits students through competitive examinations that are open to French and international candidates. Its music programs cover instrumental studies, early music, jazz, musicology and analysis, composition, conducting, vocal studies, pedagogy, and related areas. It has educated many internationally recognized musicians, including Claude Debussy, Pierre Boulez, and Olivier Messiaen.
There are many music schools and conservatories worldwide that can offer quality education and training for students who want to pursue a musical career. Earning a degree from one of these respected universities or conservatories can help students build strong artistic foundations, professional networks, and long-term career opportunities.
We hope that this article on the best music schools in the world was helpful. Make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students to learn more about studying abroad.
