What is the most prestigious music school?
In this article, I’ll be organizing US music schools and music programs into four tiers. Tier 1 represents the schools that are the most prestigious and best schools in the country. Tier 2 represents the schools that are easier to get into than tier 1 (and therefore less prestigious) but still have a great reputation, amazing faculty, and notable alumni. Tier 3 represents the schools that are recognized in the music world as having good music programs but are less well known and prestigious. Tier 4 represents the schools that are not known or recognized within the music community.
Please note that these are only my opinions, not facts. It is certainly possible to become a great musician without attending any of these schools. At the end of the day, your skill trumps everything else. 😉
Tier 1
Juilliard. Juilliard is often thought of as being the best music school in the US, which I believe is due to three things: it’s age, location, and amount of notable alumni. Juilliard is one of the oldest music conservatories in the country, dating back to 1905. Juilliard is also located in New York City, which is a hub for artists and one of the best places to create a career. It also has arguably the largest number of notable alumni, with some highlights being Sarah Chang, David Garrett, Midori, Frank Huang, Yo-yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Rabin, Gil Shaham, and Pinchas Zuckerman.
Curtis. Curtis is in Philadelphia, PA and was formed in 1924. Some notable Curtis alumni are Hilary Hahn, Nathan Cole, Timothy and Nikki Choi, Leonard Bernstein, Lynn Harrell and Lang Lang.
Colburn. Colburn is in Los Angeles, CA and is the baby of the group, formed in 1950. Some famous alumni from Colburn are Nathan Chen (concertmaster of Chicago Symphony), Leila Josefowicz and Anne Akiko Meyers.
One major advantage Curtis and Colburn have over Juilliard is that they are free to attend, and Juilliard is very expensive. According to the Juilliard website, the total estimated cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 school year is $86,582.
Tier 2
These dedicated music conservatories have a higher rate of acceptance than tier one, but still have great reputations and noteable alumni.
Cleveland Institute of Music
Eastman School of Music
San Francisco Conservatory
Peabody
Manhattan School of Music
Mannes School of Music
Lynn Conservatory
There are also several universities that have outstanding music programs, such as Yale, Rice, Northwestern, and Oberlin.
Tier 3
These are universities that have well-respected music programs.
University of Texas at Austin
DePaul University
University of Michigan
Rutgers University
Ithaca College
Tier 4
Any and all other music schools.
What do you think is the most prestigious music school in the US or another country? Leave a comment and let me know!
