Music University Rankings 2012

If you’re interested in a music-related degree, typical college ranking lists might not help you. Many schools, even liberal arts colleges, don’t offer music-related programs, and schools that do focus on the fine and performing arts often aren’t large enough or otherwise don’t qualify for typical college lists. So, in order to research some of the music schools that interest you, it is important to look at list that are specifically meant for music students.

StudentsReview.com Rankings

Every month, StudentsReview.com releases a new list of colleges based on surveys completed by students. Each school is also given a letter grade and has a profile page to help you learn more information about characteristics such as social life and university resources. Schools are ranked based on characteristics such as educational quality, campus maintenance, competition, the level that creativity is encouraged and more. In addition to reading their rankings, you can filter the results according to what characteristics are most important to you.

Rolling Stones Schools that Rock List

Not a traditional college ranking list, Schools that Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide is a book that helps music students (as well as fans who are pursuing different degrees) learn more about some of the college options available. They take into account not just thriving music programs with unique majors and interesting course, but also colleges based in towns that have their thumb on the pulse of the rock scene. While this list isn’t fully focused on education, it does give you an idea of the social life you can expect at colleges from across the United States. This definitely adds to your college experience, so it isn’t something you should overlook, even if you’re more interested in concert piano than you are in whether or not you can go to see your favorite indy band at night.

Newsweek Hottest Music School Ranking

Newsweek compiles an annual list of their “hottest schools,” which includes one school for each category (things like “hottest for loving the great outdoors” and “hottest women’s college”). Included on this list is the “hottest music school,” which has traditionally listed a school that is great for musicians but also focuses on general education.

Other Rankings

Although general rankings don’t traditionally have separate rankings for music schools, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t useful at all. A number of lists include schools that have music programs, and many have education programs with music minor programs, for those who want to teach music, and many schools offer music scholarships, no matter what your major. If you aren’t sure about you major, attending a school that isn’t focused on just music can be a good choice. US News, The Princeton Review, OEDb, the Academic Rankings of World Universities, Times Higher Education, and a number of other organizations and publications are great for reading more about some of the schools that most interest you.

The Top Online Universities in America

The Internet has revolutionized education so that now you can earn a degree entirely online from the comfort of your home. This is perfect for working professionals or anyone who wants to get ahead in a career without having to go to a physical campus everyday.

	The University of Phoenix is world-renowned for being the largest online university. Phoenix boasts dozens of different degrees at all levels that students can choose from. In the last four years alone, the university produced 80,000 graduates in high-demand fields as nursing, health care, teaching and IT. In addition to its online access, the school has campus locations within 10 miles of 87 million Americans. Learn More About University of Phoenix
	Liberty University has the reputation of being the largest online evangelical Christian university in the nation. Founded in 1971 by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, Liberty's original name was Lynchburg Baptist College. Liberty obtained university status in 1984. In athletics, Liberty is a member of the Big South Conference for 18 sports, including football, hockey, and basketball. Academically, Liberty offers majors in over 70 subjects, including aeronautics, business, nursing, and more. Learn More About Liberty University
	Kaplan is organized into ten different academic schools, including Arts & Sciences, Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Health Sciences, IS & Technology, Legal Studies, Nursing, Continuing Education, and Concord Law School. All told, Kaplan offers more than 125 degrees and programs both off- and online, with more than 70 campus-based locations nationwide. Learn More About Kaplan University
	In addition to a host of options for students needing to transfer existing bachelor's and master's coursework into one of its more-than three dozen degree programs, Post University also welcomes military personnel to join its student body. Post offers detailed opportunities for veterans, those participating in active duty, as well as military dependent students. Learn More About Post University
	Ashford is a private liberal arts university based in Clinton, Iowa. But thanks to the World Wide Web, students from all over the world can access their online coursework. Originally founded in 1918 as Mount St. Clare College, Ashford has Catholic roots and today its NAIA-level athletic teams are known as The Saints, which compete in the Midwest Collegiate Conference in over a dozen sports. Learn More About Ashford University
	DeVry has dozens of campuses nationwide and delivers its coursework via the Web to thousands of online students studying for their degrees. At DeVry University, all degree programs are career-focused to ensure that proper training is given to students pursuing a specific job or career path. Learn More About DeVry University
	American InterContinental University, also known as AIU, is a private school accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Founded in 1970 as the American College of Applied Arts, AIU today has seven campuses in the US and UK and runs its online program out of its Chicago offices. AIU offers degree programs in several subjects, including healthcare, business, education, criminal justice, and more. Learn More About American InterContinental University
	For students looking for flexible and affordable online education, Walden University offers both. As a leading accredited online university for more than 40 years, Walden has more than 42,500 students, from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Nearly 85 percent of Walden students are satisfied with their university, and would be likely to recommend Walden to others. Learn More About Walden University
	In 1892, S. Irving Strayer founded Strayer's Business College. Today, this is known as Strayer University and has over 70 non-residential campuses with more than 50,000 students nationwide. Strayer is highly regarded as producing as many students with computer science degrees as any other school in the country. Learn More About Strayer University
	Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 as Grand Canyon College, an Arizona Southern Baptist school. (It reached university status in 1989.) Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, GCU is typically featured among the Top 10 online colleges as ranked by The Online Education Database (OEDb). Learn More About Grand Canyon University
	Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the oldest and most trusted universities that offers online education. At Boston Online, students can study liberal arts, business, science, criminal justice, health, music, nursing, and more to become well-rounded and productive individuals. Moreover, online programs offer a better sense of flexibility and convenience. Learn More About Boston University
	Capella University was founded in 1991 by Stephen Shank, the former CEO of Tonka, who felt that working adults were underserved by traditional brick-and-mortar universities. While their offices are located in downtown Minneapolis, being an online university, the majority of learning takes place outside of campus and instead via the Internet. Their motto: "Knowledge is solving problems no one else can." Learn More About Capella University