California Institute of the Arts
Public University — The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning i...
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26 universities in the United States offer Music & Performing Arts master’s study in 2026, with 31 programmes in total. It is for applicants comparing where to pursue advanced study in performance, composition, and related areas.
23 universities · ranked best first
how we rankPublic University — The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning i...
Public University — California University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in United States.
Public University — Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California, United States. Encompassing eleven colleges, the university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High r...
Public University — The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private postgraduate research university in Claremont, California, United States. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges cons...
Public University — Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895, EIU awards bachelor's and master's degrees in programs organized into four col...
Public University — Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Ashtabula, Burton, East...
Public University — Kent State University at Kent is a public university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. Its programmes are accredited by US Dept. of Education (College Scorecard).
Public University — Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership.
Public University — The Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesv...
Public University — Ohio University is a public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1804, it was the first university established in the former Northwest Territor...
Public University — Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States.
Public University — Park University is a private university in Parkville, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1875. In the fall of 2025, Park had an enrollment of 4,949 students.
Public University — Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams...
Public University — Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degre...
Public University — Simpson College is a public university located in United States.
Public University — Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a public university in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. Located within the Metro East of Greater St. Louis, SIUE was established in...
Public University — Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male &...
Public University — Tiffin University is a private university in Tiffin, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1888.
Public University — The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) is a public university in Monticello, Arkansas, United States, with Colleges of Technology in Crossett and McGehee. UAM is part of the Universi...
Public University — The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1974 as University of Houston–Downtown College (UH–DC), it has a campus that...
Public University — The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public research university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is part of the University of Tennessee System.
Public University — Villanova University is a private Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Saint Thomas...
Public University — West Texas A&M University is a public university in Canyon, Texas, United States. It is the northernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System and accredited by the Southern Association...
Music & Performing Arts at other levels
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A master’s degree in Music & Performing Arts is for applicants who want study beyond a bachelor’s degree and are aiming for advanced professional or academic training. It suits students who already have a clear focus and want to develop higher-level work before entering performance, teaching, or further study.
The institutions in this group are public universities, and they differ in setting as well as in how transparent they are about cost. Some are in large-city locations, others are in smaller college settings, and published fee information is available only where the university provides it; applicants should not assume a cost from the degree type alone.
Before applying, confirm the exact programme title, entry requirements, tuition, and any audition or portfolio expectations. Also verify whether the course is full-time or part-time, which campus offers it, and whether international applicants have any additional conditions.
By our composite ranking, the top choices include California Institute of the Arts, California University of Pennsylvania, Chapman University. The full ranked list above shows QS positions, tuition fees and entry requirements for each one.
Tuition varies widely by university and program, and international students usually pay more than domestic students. Every listing above shows the fee we hold for that program — labelled indicative where it has not yet been verified against the university's own published figures.
We use a transparent composite score combining QS World positions, each institution's star rating, academic breadth, internationalisation and student support — never paid placement. See our ranking methodology for the exact weights.
This page lists Master's Music & Performing Arts universities in United States held in our database, ordered by a composite score that combines QS World positions, our editorial star rating, academic breadth, internationalisation and student support — never paid placement. Use the filters to narrow by subject, level, university type or location; every combination has its own address you can bookmark or share.
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