by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study music, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 371 programs that stand out for veteran music students, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. To help you decide, College Factual reviewed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ready to build your own comparison? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Explore the best music colleges for veterans at a specific degree level:
Explore the leading music colleges for veterans below:
Our analysis ranked University of Nebraska-Lincoln the #1 college for veteran and military-affiliated students pursuing a degree in music. The school's overall veterans score is 91.2 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the music program at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Delaware came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best music colleges for veterans. University of Delaware scores 91.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the music program at University of Delaware
Veteran students seeking a strong music program will find one at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which ranked #3. The school's overall veterans score is 90.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about music at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A rank of #4 makes Ohio State University-Main Campus one of the top music colleges for veteran students. It scores 89.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full music report for Ohio State University-Main Campus
Veteran students seeking a strong music program will find one at James Madison University, which ranked #5. The school's overall veterans score is 89.6 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7.
Read more about music at James Madison University
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University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #6 for veteran music students this year. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor scores 89.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about music at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia placed #7 among the best music colleges for veterans. It scores 89.3 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full music report for University of Georgia
William & Mary ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.2 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full music report for William & Mary
University of South Florida placed #9 among the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.0 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about music at University of South Florida
Rutgers University-New Brunswick placed #10 among the best music colleges for veterans. It scores 88.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
See the full music report for Rutgers University-New Brunswick
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater placed #11 among the best music colleges for veterans. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater scores 88.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the music program at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University came in at #12 for veteran music students this year. East Carolina University scores 88.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the music program at East Carolina University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #13 spot for veterans pursuing music. The school's overall veterans score is 88.1 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about music at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
The University of Texas at Arlington placed #14 among the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.9 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the music program at The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University placed #15 among the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.8 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
Read more about music at San Diego State University
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University of Alabama at Birmingham placed #16 among the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.7 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full music report for University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas placed #17 among the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.6 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full music report for University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Virginia-Main Campus ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best music colleges for veterans. University of Virginia-Main Campus scores 87.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about music at University of Virginia-Main Campus
Stony Brook University landed the #19 spot for veterans pursuing music. Stony Brook University scores 87.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full music report for Stony Brook University
California State University-Long Beach came in at #20 for veteran music students this year. California State University-Long Beach scores 86.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score.
See the full music report for California State University-Long Beach
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University of Florida came in at #21 for veteran music students this year. It scores 86.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full music report for University of Florida
Binghamton University came in at #22 for veteran music students this year. Binghamton University scores 85.8 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full music report for Binghamton University
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus came in at #23 for veteran music students this year. It scores 85.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the music program at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Western Michigan University came in at #24 for veteran music students this year. Western Michigan University scores 85.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. See the full music report for Western Michigan University
University of Washington-Seattle Campus placed #25 among the best music colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.4 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the music program at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Not far behind, these music colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
To learn more, click any college name below:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 82.73 |
| 52 | University of North Alabama | 82.65 |
| 53 | California State University-Northridge | 82.46 |
| 54 | Florida State University | 82.43 |
| 55 | The University of Alabama | 82.38 |
| 56 | University of Northern Iowa | 82.23 |
These schools also stood out:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | University of South Dakota | 82.17 |
| 58 | George Mason University | 82.15 |
| 59 | Rowan University | 82.13 |
| 60 | Georgia State University | 81.98 |
| 61 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | 81.93 |
| 62 | Georgia Southern University | 81.92 |
| 63 | Valencia College | 81.86 |
| 64 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 65 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
| 66 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 81.57 |
| 67 | Grand Valley State University | 81.50 |
| 68 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
| 69 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| 70 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 71 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Christopher Newport University | 80.94 |
| 73 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 80.92 |
| 74 | Towson University | 80.91 |
| 75 | Oakland University | 80.84 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying music: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
