Pitch Perfect: The 20 Best Music Schools in the World

Conservatories, typically built around intensive studio training in performance and composition rather than the broad general education requirements of a traditional college, made a strong showing in THR‘s annual look at the world’s best music schools. But schools with well-regarded media scoring programs, which teach composing for film, TV, video and gaming — USC Thornton, Eastman, Berklee and Columbia Chicago — retain their influence in Hollywood and beyond.

David Serkin Ludwig, dean and director of the music division at Juilliard, which continues to expand its opportunities for media scoring, says that the grounding conservatories give their students is important in a world where AI is encroaching even on creative disciplines like music. “A great hedge against the replacement aspect of AI is having a very deep and thorough training, because you want depth of knowledge and experience for people using the tools,” he says. “So I’m happy with the direction we’re going, and we just have to keep staying current.”

To see where that type of training is happening, we turned to the people working in the field. Contributing to this year’s ranked list via survey: the Society of Composers and Lyricists, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ music branch, the Alliance for Women Film Composers and the Composers Diversity Collective. Thanks go to Ray Costa and Costa Communications for their help in distributing THR‘s survey.

THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL

NEW YORK CITY

Long a holdout on media scoring instruction, Juilliard now offers several courses, including Composing for Visual Media, which gives students the fundamental skills they need to compose for film and TV, as well as commercials and video games, with focuses on both traditional and more diverse contemporary approaches. Scoring to Picture is a two-credit course offered through the school’s extension division that covers spotting, or placement of music and sound in a project, scoring brief media excerpts and enhancing drama in film with music.

The school also has renovated and upgraded its film scoring labs and classrooms. “We’re aspiring to stay on the cutting edge of available technologies for them, so we’re doing a lot in interactive music technology as well,” says Serkin Ludwig, the dean and director of the music division. “So looking into motion sensors, other kinds of digital response tools but also just the software itself, and making platforms available for our students: laptops, cameras, all the devices and tools they need to create their own media.”

TUITION $57,200

NOTABLE ALUMNI John Williams (Star Wars); Philip Glass (The Hours)

USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

LOS ANGELES

USC Thornton continues to thrive at the center of the Hollywood music community and offers a two-semester master’s degree program in screen scoring that recruits about 20 students a year for a deep dive into composition, orchestration, programming, conducting, producing and editing music for screen-based media. The program has been chaired by Jeanine Cowen since 2022. “We’re really trying to take advantage of our relationship with the cinema school,” Cowen says. “In September, we did a massive mock scoring session with 25 Thornton musicians and our composers, and we were just doing it so everybody could get a sense of what a scoring session is. The filmmakers are amazed because most of them have no idea what a live ensemble can do for their picture. So we’ll probably keep doing that because it was such a huge success.”

While Los Angeles has faced challenges in employment and keeping jobs in town, Cowen says Hollywood’s creative culture is still vital: “Every session we’ve had so far, the pro studio players are all busy, so we’re not able to get our first call all the time, and it’s because there’s a lot going on in town that’s keeping musicians busy.”

TUITION $75,384

NOTABLE ALUMNI Bear McCreary (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power); James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes)

EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music continues to offer students both intensive conservatory training in performance and composition, as well as a renowned program for film and media scoring with funding and participation from prolific composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards, Monk) for the school’s Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media. Next year will see the school broaden the institute’s approach, as associate professor of music and technology Dennis DeSantis explains: “In an ever-evolving technological world, Eastman’s Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media is excited to reach beyond the traditional methods of composition by launching a new major in music creation and technology in fall 2027. With this program, we invite technologically curious musicians to explore new ways of creating and experiencing music, keeping Eastman’s world-class curriculum at the forefront of musical innovation.”

TUITION $71,750

NOTABLE ALUMNI Maria Schneider (Grammy-winning composer); Lew Soloff (jazz trumpeter)

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

BOSTON

Sean McMahon continues in his role as chair of screen scoring at Berklee, which includes two programs, Film and Media Scoring and Game and Interactive Media Scoring, both of which are four-year bachelor of music degrees. The school’s Next Gen Composer Lab is an immersive, five-day collaboration among Berklee Screen Scoring, the Boston Conservatory and the Vienna Symphonic Library. “Nine composers each get to conduct and record their original music with the 84-piece Vienna Synchron Orchestra, while two elite conservatory instrumentalists sit inside the orchestra itself, recording shoulder to shoulder with Europe’s finest session players,” McMahon says.

Berklee now also offers a Master of Arts in music supervision, the first of its kind in the world: a one-year, fully online graduate program covering the art of selecting, licensing and integrating music into TV, games and advertising and taught by music supervisor pros like Julia Michels (The Devil Wears Prada).

TUITION $55,620

NOTABLE ALUMNI Alex Lacamoire (Tony winner for Hamilton); Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings)

UCLA HERB ALPERT SCHOOL OF MUSIC

LOS ANGELES

The Herb Alpert School offers media scoring training through its composition and theory program, in which student composers receive instruction in studio recording, counterpoint, global musicianship and orchestration. Students are encouraged to take advantage of interdisciplinary crossovers to collaborate with live performers, student film and media directors, and cross-cultural ensembles inspired by ethnomusicology and world jazz styles. New students must complete a music theory assessment examination to achieve placement in global musicianship and formal music theory classes.

TUITION $15,154 (in-state)

NOTABLE ALUMNI Joseph Trapanese (The Greatest Showman); Quincy Jones (Thriller)

COLBURN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

LOS ANGELES

If you’re extremely talented, looking for premier conservatory training in the Los Angeles area and hard up for cash, Colburn offers elite undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs that concentrate on classical performance and repertoire — and a generous price break. All students receive a full-tuition scholarship and grants that cover room and board. Undergraduate programs include a four-year bachelor of music degree that offers studio performance training and courses on musical theory, music history, ear training and the humanities, with students completing both junior and senior solo recitals. The Performance Diploma is a four-year nondegree program for students with ambitions of professional performance but who do not yet have a bachelor’s degree. It’s essentially courses in theory, performance and ear training without the humanities requirements. Colburn also offers graduate programs including a two-year master of music with a focus on high-level instrumental mastery and advanced seminars in music history, theory and composition.

TUITION $64,000 (offset to $4,850)

NOTABLE ALUMNI Kris Bowers (Bridgerton); Elias Peter Brown (conductor)

ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC

LONDON

Royal College of Music offers a master’s degree in composition with a specialism in composition for screen — an advanced program that trains composers for professional careers through workshops, master classes, performance projects and collaborations with professional artists. The program is tailored to individual student needs and ambitions, with instruction from world-class professors and visiting artists. Electives include classes in orchestration, experimental music, conducting, music education, analysis and practical skills to keep students up to speed with constantly evolving digital technology and global perspectives. The school’s exchange program allows students to audition for the chance to study abroad during the fall term of their second year at the school.

Each year, the school hosts a Composition for Screen Showcase featuring a live ensemble performing music written by students accompanying films projected on the big screen; it’s attended by the public and industry professionals.

TUITION 31,300 pounds ($41,973)

NOTABLE ALUMNI Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera); James Horner (Titanic)

YALE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

In addition to its venerable Ivy League name, Yale boasts proximity to New York, Boston and the town of New Haven, giving students a rich cultural and artistic environment in which to take advantage of the school’s prestigious conservatory training. Yale offers a master of music, master of musical arts, doctor of musical arts and artist diploma in composition, with courses taught by concert hall composers including Katherine Balch, Martin Bresnick and Aaron Jay Kernis. While the school does not offer degree programs in media scoring, Yale’s Center for Collaborative Arts and Media helps students combine music with film, video, computer science and the visual arts. Yale’s Center for Studies in Music Technology provides students with a sophisticated recording studio and computer lab featuring software for acoustic and electroacoustic music. All students receive scholarships that cover $42,000 in tuition fees.

TUITION Free

NOTABLE ALUMNI Marco Beltrami (Logan); David Lang (2008 Pulitzer winner)

CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

PHILADELPHIA

Curtis offers a mix of liberal arts education and conservatory training focused on instrumental performance. Foundational Studies teaches students the basics in intervals and chords, notation conventions, tuning systems, scales and modes, and various musical forms. Required courses include studies in musical cultures of the world, a survey of 20th and 21st century music techniques, as well as improvisation and electives including musical history. All students receive scholarships that cover $55,995 in tuition fees.

TUITION Free

NOTABLE ALUMNI Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story); Jennifer Higdon (2010 Pulitzer winner for Violin Concerto)

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY

BOSTON

NEC’s five-year bachelor/master’s programs allow students to combine their conservatory training with academic programs from partnering institutions Harvard College or College of the Holy Cross, earning a bachelor’s degree from those schools as well as a master of music degree at NEC over a five-year period. Undergraduate students interested in media scoring can take a music technology concentration that includes classes in scoring for new media; performance with electronics or multimedia; recording and mixing; and algorithmic music. Contemporary improvisation programs delve into film music styles and techniques like film noir ensembles and cross-genre interdisciplinary scoring.

TUITION $64,208

NOTABLE ALUMNI Stephanie Economou (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök); Coretta Scott King (classically trained soprano)

OBERLIN COLLEGE AND CONSERVATORY

OBERLIN, OHIO

Oberlin doesn’t offer a dedicated media scoring program, but it nonetheless has created an excellent environment in which to learn many of the skill sets and technologies that can make students into effective composers for film, games or commercials. Their TIMARA (Technology in Music and Related Arts) program teaches electronic music and sound design, computer music and multichannel media productions. The school’s Cinema and Media department is housed in the Danny DeVito & Rhea Perlman Center for Media Education and Production above the Apollo Theatre and offers production courses, film labs and soundstages that afford conservatory musicians ample room to perform student compositions.

TUITION $70,320

NOTABLE ALUMNI Jeremy Denk (pianist); Claire Chase (flutist)

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO

CHICAGO

Columbia College Chicago School of Audio and Music continues its comprehensive two-year MFA program, run by graduate program director Kubilay Uner for the past 12 years, and it has recently added an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in music composition for media, led by Lee Sanders, nine-time BMI Award winner and composer for CBS’ The Amazing Race.

Uner has 15 students in his first-year program and 14 in the second year and says that the highly selective MFA will remain much the same as it has been in recent years. The school also is welcoming BAFTA-nominated composer Sam Hulick (video game Mass Effect) to the MFA program’s faculty. “Many in our community know Sam from his work as the owner of ReelCrafter, which is the No. 1 platform for people to put their pitch reels together in our industry,” says Uner.

TUITION $33,886

NOTABLE ALUMNI Tomás Videla (The House of the Spirits); Batu Sener (Ice Age: Boiling Point)

MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

NEW YORK CITY

MSM coursework includes classes like composition forum, instrumentation and orchestration, electronic music, form and analysis, and score reading. The school’s studio facilities include the Jean Lignel Electronic Music Studio and labs, which provide digital audio workstation tools including Pro Tools, Logic and Digital Performer, as well as virtual instruments, MIDI protocol and multitrack production techniques. MSM also offers an introductory film scoring course in its pre-college curriculum, a Saturday program for students from 8 to 18 years old.

TUITION $60,800

NOTABLE ALUMNI Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks); John Corigliano (The Red Violin)

FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

MIAMI

Established more than 100 years ago, Frost is well known for its innovative curriculum, award-winning faculty and focus on real-world industry experience. Its Media Scoring and Production program, led by newly appointed department chair Camilo Rodriguez, combines composition, orchestration, digital audio production and hands-on studio experience with mentorship from accomplished industry professionals, including Grammy-winning and three-time Emmy-winning composer Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queen’s Gambit, Hacks).

TUITION $66,312

NOTABLE ALUMNI Pat Metheny (Grammy-winning musician); Ben Folds (musician)

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY STEINHARDT

NEW YORK CITY

NYU Steinhardt’s Screen Scoring program, operated out of the Department of Music & Performing Arts, was founded and is currently run by Ronald H. Sadoff, Ph.D. “Steinhardt’s Screen Scoring program trains screen composers to think of themselves as filmmakers and storytellers at the [bachelor’s, master’s] and Ph.D. levels,” Sadoff says. “Taking advantage of all that New York City offers, students collaborate on more than 500 projects each year with peers from film and media schools, including NYU Tisch Film and Television, the NYU Game Center and Columbia University’s film school.”

TUITION $60,000

NOTABLE ALUMNI Gavin Brivik (The Pitt); Ariel Marx (Dying for Sex)

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS (CALARTS)

VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA

CalArts offers a bachelor of fine arts in music with a specialization in composition through its Music Composition and Experimental Sound Practices program, run by Michael Pisaro-Liu. The category includes film and media scoring, among other elements, but according to Pisaro-Liu, the school has plans to offer a minor in film and media scoring starting in 2027. “It’s an art school environment, all in one building, which means that the School of Music is housed right next to schools of Arts, and Film and Video, along with theater and what we call critical studies and dance,” Pisaro-Liu says. “So it’s an environment that is, in its very nature, multimedia or across media, and film music students are in classes with art majors, film majors, dance majors and so forth. Here, your cohorts are people who are going on to become animators and filmmakers. So that’s one thing about the CalArts environment that is different from other schools.”

TUITION $62,954

NOTABLE ALUMNI Michael Skloff (Friends); Raven Chacon (2022 Pulitzer winner)

SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

SAN FRANCISCO

Located near Silicon Valley and California’s hub of video game production, SFCM’s Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program offers bachelor of music, master of music and professional studies certificates with tracks in film scoring, game scoring and sound design. Students learn writing and producing music for live instruments, working with ensembles ranging from solo instrumentalists to small chamber sized. The ultimate goal is for students to work individually with film directors on short films, documentaries or longer-form narrative productions.

TUITION $58,400

NOTABLE ALUMNI John Adams (composer/ conductor); Isaac Stern (violinist)

COLLEGE OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC/MUSICIANS INSTITUTE

LOS ANGELES

While established in 1977 as the Guitar Institute of Technology and promoted initially as a school for rock ‘n’ rollers, the Musicians Institute has leveraged its location in the heart of Hollywood to make it a popular destination for musicians and composers eager to break into the film industry. Director of performance studies Daniel Levin runs the school’s media and film scoring program, which offers a bachelor’s degree in the discipline. “It’s super comprehensive,” Levin says of the program. “Students study the full gamut of theory, ear training and counterpoint orchestration.” Students ultimately complete a capstone project where they record their compositions with a studio orchestra. “Not only do they compose it, but they have to set up the Pro Tools session, to prep all the music and conduct,” Levin says. “If they do everything that they need to do according to our program, they’re pretty well set to go out and succeed in the field.”

TUITION $34,322

NOTABLE ALUMNI Cody Matthew Johnson (Star Wars Outlaws)

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA

Located in the San Fernando Valley, Cal State Northridge is a friendly and tremendously affordable alternative to many of the area’s better-known schools, with a reputation for preparing students for practical careers. The school’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication offers a bachelor of music in commercial and media writing that combines classical and jazz orchestration with contemporary digital music production, MIDI sequencing and studio software in wide use by the industry. Says Kyle Simpson, D.M., associate professor of commercial media composition: “Our media composition students gain hands-on education and real-world experience in the film, TV and video game industries through a robust internship program where they work with professional composers and orchestrators. They also have opportunities to record their original scores with fellow CSUN students and L.A. studio professionals at some of the region’s most prestigious recording studios.”

TUITION $7,458 (in-state)

NOTABLE ALUMNI Diane Warren (multiple Oscar-nominated songwriter); Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel)

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

DENTON, TEXAS

UNT teaches visual media scoring and composition through its Division of Composition Studies in the College of Music and its Department of Media Arts. Music Composition & Media Scoring features a Master of Arts in music composition with a specialized media composition track, in addition to general computer music and interdisciplinary paths. Composition majors collaborate with student filmmakers and instrumental ensembles and present original compositions through workshops, reading sessions and the Spectrum concert series. Students also can work with cable TV station ntTV and radio station KNTU-FM on audio production, sound design and screen media.

TUITION $26,548

NOTABLE ALUMNI Norah Jones (Grammy-winning musician); Don Henley (The Eagles)

This story appeared in the Nov. 12 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.