Belmont University 

Located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, it should come as no surprise that Belmont University boasts an incredible music program. Just minutes from the legendary Music Row, Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business has been training future industry professionals for over 60 years. Curb students can choose from 10 uniquely creative majors, from Emerging Media to Songwriting to Audio Engineering Technology. Belmont’s Music Business major requires students to complete traditional (and accredited!) B.B.A. coursework with a specialized industry concentration based on their particular interests. Students can choose among specializations like Legal Studies, Music Production, International Music Business, Live Event Management, and Tour Operations. Belmont is also home to world-class recording facilities, and Curb College students can boast that they honed their craft in the same spaces as the legendary Bob Dylan and Luke Bryan.

Admit Rate: 83%

Cost of Attendance: $54,430

Northeastern University 

Known for its strength in cooperative education, Northeastern University boasts the first undergraduate music industry major in Boston.  NEU’s Bachelor of Science in Music and Communication Studies with a concentration in Music Industry prepares students to become experts in copyright protections, contracts, and recording software while developing skills in marketing, entrepreneurship, and talent assessment. Students can look forward to innovative and appealing courses like Songs that Made History; Divas, DJs, and Double Standards; and Ethnography in Creative Industries. 

Admit Rate: 18%

Cost of Attendance: $76,302

Syracuse University 

Less of a hidden gem, Syracuse University’s Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries is also one of the most prestigious and immersive. Capped at 25 students per cohort, Bandier students graduate with a B.S. in Recording and Entertainment Industries and a wealth of experiential learning opportunities on their resumes. In fact, Bandier students are required to complete three major market internships to gain “valuable exposure to music industry structure.” Moreover, Bandier students gain access to weekly lectures with key industry professionals thanks to the Rezak Music Business Lecture Series. 

Admit Rate: 59%

Cost of Attendance: $77,159

Baldwin-Wallace University 

Situated in Berea, Ohio, Baldwin-Wallace University is a larger liberal arts college with an emphasis on music. The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music is one of the few undergraduate-only conservatories of music and home to the longest-running collegiate Bach Festival in the country. The Conservatory features 13 majors, from Music Performance in the instrument of your choosing to Music Theory to Arts Management & Entrepreneurship. The University’s innovative Music Industry Major features interdisciplinary learning in partnership with the Conservatory of Music and the Carmel Boyer School of Business. 

Admit Rate: 79%

Cost of Attendance: $53,510

The University of the Arts 

One of the nation's oldest schools of art and music, the University of the Arts is located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. The University’s School of Music features a top-ranked Music Business, Entrepreneurship & Technology Major (MBET) that prepares students for careers in recording, artist and venue marketing, and publishing.  Students can look forward to interdisciplinary courses like Business Fundamentals for the Creative Economy and Digital Distribution while also composing digital music tracks and securing industry internships.  UArts MBET students develop hands-on experience in production thanks to the newly-opened Laurie Wagman Recording Studio, which features rehearsal spaces, production facilities, and instruction in classes like Advanced Microphone Techniques and Sound Design. 

Admit Rate: 85%

Cost of Attendance: $66,130

University of South Carolina 

The University of South Carolina recently introduced a new program housed within the School of Music intended for students dreaming of entering the music industry without the stress of auditioning. In partnership with UofSC’s Darla Moore School of Business and the Sport and Entertainment Management Program, the B.S. in Music Industry Studies prepares students with the business savvy and creative programming experience to break into the music industry. South Carolina Music Industry students are expected to engage in significant experiential learning opportunities and must complete a year-long capstone project that articulates their focus within the music industry. In addition to coursework in the liberal arts and entrepreneurship, students can look forward to seminars like Understanding the Psychology of Music and Aural Skills. 

Admit Rate: 61%

Cost of Attendance: $51,363 (out-of-state)