Music Schools in Boston

With four world-class music schools and over 16 colleges and universities with music programs, Boston is a great place to study music. There is a broad choice of schools, including traditional conservatories and schools specializing in jazz, contemporary music, and musical theater.

These are the most popular music majors in Boston:

  • Music, or general music, is a broad-based music education that may include the study of music performance, theory, history, and pedagogy. This major is often a starting point for a graduate degree. 
  • Music Performance: Broad music education with an emphasis on musical performance. Prepares you for a career as a soloist, ensemble player, or accompanist.
  • Musical Theater: This program prepares you for a professional theater career with intensive training in singing and dancing.
  • Music Education: This prepares you for a career as a music teacher in primary, elementary, and secondary schools.
  • Music Theory and Composition: Focuses on the skills needed to create and arrange music and may include musical theory, harmony, rhythm, improvisation, and computer skills.
  • Music therapy prepares you for a career as a therapy professional using music. Classes may include music, psychology, biology, therapy, and general studies.
  • Conducting prepares you for a career as a conductor or leader of a band, orchestra, or choir. Classes may include score analysis, arranging, rehearsal,rehearsal and performance leadership. music coaching, arrangement and performance planning, and ensemble operations management.
  • Musicology focuses on the history and cultural context of musical expression in the broadest sense.
  • World Music or Ethnomusicology: Study of musical expression throughout the world with performance or research emphasis
  • Music management prepares you to manage the careers of musicians as well as leadership positions in music labels and organizations.

 

Music Schools in Boston

The following schools are dedicated to music only.  The colleges are listed by number of students attending not rank. Make sure to check out other great colleges in the Boston area with our matching tools.

School Tuition Selectivity Size Location Music Degrees
Berklee College of Music High Tuition  Medium Selective Medium Size College City Location CertificateDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDegreeEmptyDegreeEmpty
Popular:  Music Composition, Music Performance, Jazz, Music General, Music Management, Music Therapy
New England Conservatory High Tuition Very Selective Small College City Location CertificateDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDoctorate DegreeContinued Education
Popular:   Stringed Instruments, Keyboard, Voice and Opera, Jazz, Brass Instruments, Percussuin Instruments, Woodwind Instruments, Theory and Composition,
Boston Conservatory High Tuition Very Selective Small College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDegreeEmptyContinued Education
Popular: Music, Musical Theatre
Longy School of Music of Bard College Medium Tuition Open Admission Small College City Location CertificateDegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeMSDegreeEmptyContinued Education
Popular:  Brass, Keyboard, Stringed Instruments, Voice and Opera, Music Performance, Woodwind Instruments, Theory and Composition, Music Pedagogy, Performance, Conducting

 

Colleges in Boston with Music Programs

The table below shows a selection of colleges in universities in the Boston that offer music majors.  The colleges are listed by number of students attending not rank. Make sure to check out other great colleges in the Boston area with our matching tools.

School Tuition Selectivity Size Location Music Degrees
Boston Unversity High Tuition Medium Selective Large College City Location

CertificateDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDoctorate DegreeContinued Education
Popular: Music Performance, Music General, Conducting, Keyboard, Musicology

Harvard University High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeEmptyDoctorate Degree
Popular: Music, Musicology, Theory, Composition

Northeastern University High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music

University of Massachusetts Low Tuition  Somewhat Selective Large College Metro Boston Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music

Boston College High Tuition Very Selective  Large College City Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music General

MIT High Tuition Very Selective Large College City Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music General

Bridgewater State University Low Tuition Somewhat Selective Large College Suburban Boston Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music General

Tufts University High Tuition Very Selective  Large College City Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMS
Popular: Music

Salem State University Low Tuition Medium Selective Large College Suburban Boston Location

DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music General

Brandeis University High Tuition Very Selective Medium Size College Metro Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's DegreeDegreeMSDoctorate Degree
Popular:  Music General, Music Theory and Composition
Lesley University Medium Tuition Medium Selective Medium Size College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyDegreeMS
Popular: Music Therapy
Simmons College Medium Tuition Medium Selective Medium Size College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular: Music General
Emerson College High Tuition Medium Selective Medium Size College City Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular:  Music Theatre, Music Performance
Gordon College Medium Tuition Medium Selectivity Small College Suburban Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular:  Music General, Music Performance
Amherst College High Tuition  Very Selective Small College  Suburban Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular:  Music General
Eastern Nazarene College Medium Tuition Medium Selective  Small College Metro Boston Location DegreeEmptyDegreeEmptyBachelor's Degree
Popular:  Music Performance