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 theatre.
These are the most popular music majors in Boston:
- Music or General Music - 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 emphasis on musical performance. Prepares you for a career as soloist, ensemble player or accompanist.
- Musical Theater - Prepares you a for a professional theater career with intensive training in singing and dancing.
- Music Education - Prepares you for a career as music teacher in primary, elementary, and secondary schools
- Music Theory and Composition - Focuses on the skills to create and arrange music and may include musical theory, harmony, rhythm, improvisation and computer skills.
- Music Therapy - Prepares you for career as therapy professional using music. Classes may include music, psychology, biological, therapy and general studies.
- Conducting - Prepares you for a career as a conductor/leader of a band, orchestra or choirs. Classes may include score analysis, arranging ,rehearsal and performance leadership. music coaching, arrangement and performance planning, 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 for a to manage careers of musicians as well as a 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 | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music Composition, Music Performance, Jazz, Music General, Music Management, Music Therapy |
New England Conservatory | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Stringed Instruments, Keyboard, Voice and Opera, Jazz, Brass Instruments, Percussuin Instruments, Woodwind Instruments, Theory and Composition, |
Boston Conservatory | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music, Musical Theatre |
Longy School of Music of Bard College | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 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 | ![]() |
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Harvard University | ![]() |
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Northeastern University | ![]() |
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University of Massachusetts | ![]() |
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Boston College | ![]() |
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MIT | ![]() |
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Bridgewater State University | ![]() |
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Tufts University | ![]() |
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Salem State University | ![]() |
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Brandeis University | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music General, Music Theory and Composition |
Lesley University | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music Therapy |
Simmons College | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music General |
Emerson College | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music Theatre, Music Performance |
Gordon College | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music General, Music Performance |
Amherst College | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music General |
Eastern Nazarene College | ![]() |
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![]() ![]() ![]() Popular: Music Performance |