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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Music Performance Schools in North Carolina

6 Colleges in the United States
175 Music Performance Degrees Awarded
$28,420 Avg Early-Career Salary

Music Performance degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 21 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best music performance schools.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Music Performance in North Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall music performance education in North Carolina.

Top Schools in Music Performance

1

Our analysis ranked University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill the best school in the country for a degree in music performance. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill graduates 91% of students within six years. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill awarded about 14 music performance degrees in the most recent data year. Music Performance graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $32,880 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $19,000. See the full music performance program report for University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill

2

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in music performance, ranking #2. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte graduates 69% of students within six years. There were roughly 18 music performance students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte in the most recent data year. Students who receive their music performance degree from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn around $38,831 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,858. More information about a degree in music performance from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte

3

A rank of #3 makes Western Carolina University one of the top schools for music performance. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. Western Carolina University awarded about 35 music performance degrees in the most recent data year. Music Performance graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $26,135 early in their careers. Western Carolina University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Get the full music performance details for Western Carolina University

4

A rank of #4 makes University Of North Carolina At Greensboro one of the top schools for music performance. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro graduates 56% of students within six years. There were roughly 64 music performance students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Greensboro in the most recent data year. Music Performance graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $24,315 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000. Get the full music performance details for University Of North Carolina At Greensboro

5

University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in music performance, ranking #5. Set in the city of Winston Salem, University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts is a small public institution. University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts graduates 78% of students within six years. About 44 music performance degrees were awarded at University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts in the most recent year. Graduates of the music performance program make about $19,939 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,143 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in music performance from University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 21 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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