Pretty much every
aspect of applying to college can be an intimidating experience. There is so
much to do, so many places to look for information and advice (this blog
included), and it doesn’t help when most incoming students are already keenly
aware of how important it is to get into a program with a well-known name that
will one day be a very crucial factor in securing a job in this competitive
field.
One of the first
things you should be doing as a student still in high school is decide which
establishments you will even attempt to get into in the coming months and
years. Depending on what you want to study, there could be literally hundreds
of options, and all of them will claim to be the perfect fit for you. As
someone who wants to study music, you are both lucky and limited when it comes
to colleges, depending on how optimistic you want to be. There are many schools
with music programs but only a handful have developed well-earned reputations
as excellent educational leaders and those are the ones you want to go for.
Having said this,
because there aren’t hundreds of beloved, truly exceptional choices, the
playing field is smaller and it can be even more difficult to stand out and
eventually be accepted into a program. There are more students who would love
to attend these locations than spots available, so you certainly have your work
cut out for you if you want admissions counselors to look upon you with favor.
For better or worse, that’s just how these things go.
If you’re just
beginning your search for where you may go to study music, consider these ten
colleges and universities above all others, as they are widely understood to be
the absolute best in the world. In no particular order, they are:
1. The Juilliard School
Location: New York
City, NY
Founded: 1905
Notable Alumni:
Barry Manilow, Yo-Yo Ma, John Williams
The Juilliard
School, or simply Juilliard as most people call it, is known as the most
prestigious performing arts educational institution in the world, according to
a number of rankings doled out every year. The college teaches students in a
number of verticals, including dance, acting, and, of course, music, which it
is perhaps best known for. The school is attached to the similarly prestigious
Lincoln Center, which plays host to some of the best live music performances to
be found anywhere, with a focus on all things classical and opera. This option
is best for those who one day would like to compose or perhaps play in an
orchestra, but it probably isn’t ideal for anyone looking to create more
contemporary popular music.
2. Berklee College of Music
Location: Boston, MA
Founded: 1945
Notable Alumni:
Melissa Etheridge, Quincy Jones, John Mayer
Unlike many other
music programs all around the world, Berklee is focused on churning out artists
who go on to top the charts and own the pop culture conversation. Many of the
most successful alumni aren’t in orchestras or crafting classical compositions,
but rather, they have squarely focused their musical efforts in pop, rock, and
other modern genres. Berklee produces more hitmakers than any other school in
the world so if you want to make it big in the Top 40 world, this is where you
need to go. Boston is known as a college town and Berklee is simply one of the
best in a crowded area.
While not specifically known as one of the
better music cities in America, Philadelphia does have at least one hidden gem
everybody considering going to college to study the craft should look into: The
Curtis institute of Music.
3. University of Southern California Thornton
School of Music
Location: Los
Angeles, CA
Founded: 1884
Notable Alumni: Herb
Alpert, James Newton Howard, James Horner
Founded just four
years after the university itself, the Thornton School of Music is one of the
oldest musical institutions in America and it benefits immensely from more than
a century of knowing what it takes to craft a truly wonderful musician. While the
organization focuses on styles like jazz, classical, and earlier forms of
music, the school also has a celebrated program for those looking to work in
the music industry but who may not be musicians themselves. Even if you want to
be on the more creative end of things as an artist, taking classes to teach you
what’s happening in the business can only benefit you and this is a great place
to receive such a blended education. Aspiring Music Business majors should take
note of this school. USC also has strong connections to the film music
industry.
4. New England Conservatory of Music
Location: Boston, MA
Founded: 1867
Notable Alumni: Neal
E. Boyd, Aoife O’Donovan, Vic Firth
Yes, of course,
another Boston college makes this list! With so many schools in such a
relatively small area, it’s impossible to avoid including more than one
institution from the city on any ranking of great universities. While Berklee
does get a majority of the music-focused collegiate attention when it comes to
Beantown, there is plenty of room for the New England Conservatory of Music, as
the two don’t overlap very much. Where Berklee is focused on creating hitmakers
and pop stars, the NECM keeps its eyes (and ears) on helping those with a
passion for playing become some of the best in the world on stringed, woodwind,
and brass instruments.
5. Yale School of Music
Location: New Haven,
CT
Founded: 1894
Notable Alumni:
Marco Beltrami, Michael Daugherty, Matt Brubeck
Yale needs no
introduction, but sadly, many people overlook the music school as the other
programs receive the majority of attention. The legendary university’s musical
wing is world-renowned and not just because of the name. It has truly earned
its stellar reputation and it lives up to the Yale brand, producing many
incredibly accomplished musicians. New Haven, Connecticut is a relatively
smaller city without all the flash of (fairly) nearby NYC but it will be worth
it when you get out of school and have Yale on your resume.
6. Curtis Institute of Music
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Founded: 1924
Notable Alumni:
Leonard Bernstein, David Brooks, Lang Lang
While not
specifically known as one of the better music cities in America, Philadelphia
does have at least one hidden gem everybody considering going to college to
study the craft should look into: The Curtis institute of Music. The school,
which is coming up on one hundred years of age, has been quietly producing some
of the most accomplished musicians in the world for a long time. While you
might not have heard of it, everybody in the opera field (the school’s
specialty) certainly has! It is notoriously difficult to be accepted to, as it
agrees to take on less than five percent of all applicants, so you’re going to
need to show them something really special if you want to go here.
7. The Royal Academy of Music
Location: London, UK
Founded: 1822
Notable Alumni:
Elton John, Annie Lennox
If you’re looking to
travel overseas when you take up your musical studies, the Royal Academy of
Music may be exactly what you need. The school accepts students from dozens of
countries so you certainly have a chance of going but you’re going to need to be
really, really great to be included in the incoming class -— this is one
institution that can afford to be picky. The college is also connected to the
University of London which can come in handy if you’re looking to study
something other than music (in addition to becoming a serious artist, of
course).
In addition to actually helping people become
better musicians, the Royal College of Music does a lot of research into all
things related to performance, which further influences teaching methods and
how live events are staged and buildings are created.
8. Royal College of Music
Location: London, UK
Founded: 1882
Notable Alumni:
Andrew Lloyd Webber, James Horner, Vanessa-Mae
Speaking of London,
if you don’t get into the Royal Academy of Music, there are other options in
that great city and the second one on your list should absolutely be the Royal
College of Music. The two similarly-named universities are part of the ABRSM (the
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), four wonderful educational
institutions in the U.K. dedicated to teaching the art of performance. Only two
of the four are located in London, which is where you probably want to live if
you’re moving to the country for college. In addition to actually helping
people become better musicians, the Royal College of Music does a lot of
research into all things related to performance, which further influences
teaching methods and how live events are staged and buildings are created.
9. Jacobs School of Music at Indiana
University
Location:
Bloomington, IN
Founded: 1921
Notable Alumni:
Joshua Bell, Carl Broemel
It may not be quite
as impressive as some other schools on this list and it doesn’t carry the same
reputation to one day help you get noticed by employers simply because of a
famous name but the Jacobs School of Music, which is based at Indiana University,
offers the greatest chance of acceptance for many up-and-coming artists. Many
of the universities I’ve already mentioned only admit a small group of new
applicants every year, while the Jacobs School has almost 2,000 students at any
given time. As a public university, this option is often offered at a lower
price than many private choices, especially for those from the region.
10. Mannes School of Music
Location: New York
City, NY
Founded: 1916
Notable Alumni: Burt
Bacharach
Another New York
City school, I know — but there’s a reason why so many of these colleges are
located in the Big Apple! While it may be difficult to make a go of being a
professional musician in America’s largest metropolis, it also happens to be
where the majority of the music industry is focused. Students at the Mannes
School of Music benefit not only from excellent Professors who typically have
decades of experience, but from being just a subway ride away from countless
opportunities for internships, jobs, and places to perform whenever they like.
New York City is to music what Los Angeles is to acting — you’ll be just a
small fish in a big pond but at least you’re in the right pond to begin with.
Also, as part of the
New School, which houses fellow artistic college Parsons (known as one of the
best in the fashion world), there are plenty of facilities and faculty who will
be willing to help in whatever way possible when it comes to making you a success.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS LIST?
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