Music to Your Ears: Top 25 Schools for Music Lovers

Whether you want to learn about music history, start a career in music, pick up a new instrument, or simply enjoy music while you study, there's a university for you. Here's a look at the top 25 schools for music lovers.

Keep the Beat at One of These Musical Schools

1. The Juilliard School (New York) The training ground for Lincoln Center needs no introduction. Aside from an elite music education, the university features access to classical performances and Broadway musicals.
2. University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX) With the most music venues per capita in the U.S., Austin earns its official slogan "Live Music Capital of the World." Each year, music and interactive media buffs convene for Austin's South by Southwest Festival.
3. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) The Conservatory of Music is the oldest music conservatory in the U.S. Bachelor's degrees and graduate school programs focusing on jazz and classical music get top billing.
4. University of Memphis (Memphis, TN) The legacy of the two kings--B.B. King and Elvis--endures in Memphis, home of the blues and an early center of rock & roll. Beale Street's legendary blues clubs feature live music every night.
5. Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) The Blair School of Music offers a convenient gateway to Nashville, epicenter of country music and home to the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium.
6. Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) The university's performing arts department draws inspiration from Detroit's musical legacy, from '40s-era Motown to modern-era jazz festivals.
7. Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, FL) A top sports university needs a top marching band. The Marching 100 is an innovator in marching band techniques, widely emulated on playing fields across the nation.
8. Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ) The Tempe Music Festival and a fleet of live music venues make Tempe an epicenter for rock and pop music.
9. Tulane University (New Orleans, LA) The university is conveniently situated on New Orleans' Charles Avenue, a convenient home base for experiencing the legendary Jazz Fest.
10. American Musical & Dramatic Academy (Los Angeles, CA) Small wonder that the center of the entertainment industry is also home to a leading performing arts university, offering a range of music bachelor's degrees.
11. University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY) The home of bluegrass music hosts an annual festival, as well as country and Christian music acts.
12. Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA) The number-one party school in the U.S. offers limitless opportunities to sample local live music.
13. Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) This top-ranked music conservatory offers both bachelor's degrees and a graduate school, with programs in music composition, education, and music production.
14. New York University (New York, NY) The university's Greenwich Village location makes it a perfect base for indie music lovers.
15. California State University (Long Beach, CA) Long Beach is home not only to Sublime and Snoop Dogg, but also to a parade of music festivals featuring reggae, Cajun and Zydeco, Hawaiian, and Puerto Rican music.
16. Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) Seattle's days as the grunge capital may be over, but the city's music scene is still hopping. Local institutions include the ex-grunge label SubPop, The Crocodile, the Bumbershoot Festival, and Eddie Vedder himself.
17. Miami International University of Art & Design (Miami, FL) Miami's rich Latin music scene has roots in Cuba, Colombia, and the Caribbean Islands. The DJ dance music culture can also help you unwind after a day of studying.
18. San Francisco State University (San Francisco, CA) The city by the bay still bears the traces of the Summer of Love, with historic venues such as The Fillmore. Music lovers can also count on great DJs, hiphop, and indie rock.
19. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) This entertainment mecca offers no end of musical education for university students seeking major pop, vocal, and country music acts.
20. Notre Dame University (IN) This university scores big academically and in the sports arena, where its marching band takes top honors.
21. St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) This small liberal arts college features top-ranked bachelor's degree programs for music educators, as well as a renowned band, choir, and orchestra.
22. University of North Carolina (Asheville, NC) Dance music, bluegrass, country, and rock festivals combine to create an eclectic music scene in Asheville.
23. University of Phoenix, St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) St. Louis has a history of great ragtime, jazz, and blues. More recently, alt-country has put the city back on the map as a musical hotspot.
24. University of Missouri (Kansas City, MO) The Kansas City Blues & Jazz Festival carries on the tradition of jazz music dating back to the 1930s.
25. University of Illinois (Chicago, IL) Blues, jazz, soul, and gospel are the bedrock of the Chicago music scene. Today, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk carry the torch--alongside the venerable Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Your college education doesn't have to be confined to the classroom. At these music-lovers' universities, the music experience extends into the fabric of everyday life, from live music around town to local festivals.

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