Best colleges for music in Ohio
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in music, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for music in Ohio48 schools
48 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Ohio.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in music, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Denison University
Granville, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 2Tie
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 2Tie
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
- 4
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#4 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 5
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH · PublicHonor Roll#5 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 6
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH · Private nonprofit#6 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B · Top 49%
- 7
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH · Private nonprofit#7 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
- 8
- 9
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH · Private nonprofit#11 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B
- 10
Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofit#12 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 11
Ohio Northern University
Ada, OH · Private nonprofitTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B · Top 42%
- 12
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH · PublicTop 15% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
- 13Tie
Otterbein University
Westerville, OH · Private nonprofit#18 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B
- 13Tie
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit#18 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 15
- 16
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, OH · Private nonprofit#22 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 17
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH · Private nonprofit#26 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
- 18
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, OH · Private nonprofitTop 24% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
- 19
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH · Public#29 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B · Top 43%
- 20
Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit#33 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B
- 21
Walsh University
North Canton, OH · Private nonprofit#34 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B · Top 50%
- 22
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH · Public#35 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade C+
- 23
Ashland University
Ashland, OH · Private nonprofit#38 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
- 24
- 25
Capital University
Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit#41 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in music
- Value grade B-
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denison University | $40,007 | $26,000 | $67,753 | 79% |
| Case Western Reserve University | $41,190 | $24,000 | $87,989 | 87% |
| Kenyon College | $38,512 | $18,527 | $71,830 | 82% |
| Oberlin College | $38,645 | $26,000 | $58,343 | 81% |
| Ohio State University | $17,339 | $19,976 | $60,409 | 88% |
| University of Dayton | $29,533 | $23,250 | $75,537 | 80% |
| The College of Wooster | $23,458 | $26,500 | $59,629 | 74% |
| Miami University-Oxford | $28,384 | $23,000 | $55,076 | 80% |
| Cedarville University | $24,468 | $20,937 | $55,443 | 73% |
| Cleveland Institute of Music | $28,226 | $24,968 | $32,641 | 72% |
| Ohio Northern University | $24,478 | $27,000 | $80,928 | 75% |
| University of Cincinnati | $25,648 | $21,250 | $54,810 | 75% |
| Otterbein University | $19,237 | $26,000 | $53,313 | 68% |
| Xavier University | $32,997 | $23,250 | $64,873 | 69% |
| Ohio University | $21,637 | $21,056 | $52,581 | 65% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | $27,603 | $27,000 | $54,122 | 67% |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | $20,897 | $27,000 | $55,624 | 59% |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | $22,421 | $25,000 | $49,555 | 68% |
| University of Toledo | $17,249 | $22,250 | $50,632 | 57% |
| Mount St. Joseph University | $16,530 | $26,827 | $51,509 | 56% |
| Walsh University | $20,493 | $27,000 | $59,764 | 59% |
| Bowling Green State University | $24,022 | $25,000 | $47,896 | 64% |
| Ashland University | $21,988 | $25,000 | $52,928 | 61% |
| Kent State University at Kent | $20,787 | $24,500 | $45,388 | 64% |
| Capital University | $22,576 | $26,889 | $54,143 | 60% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 21
- Arizona 5
- Arkansas 19
- California 70
- Colorado 17
- Connecticut 18
- District of Columbia 6
- Florida 29
- Georgia 33
- Hawaii 3
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 46
- Indiana 29
- Iowa 25
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 20
- Louisiana 17
- Maine 6
- Maryland 14
- Massachusetts 31
- Michigan 28
- Minnesota 27
- Mississippi 14
- Missouri 30
- Montana 4
- Nebraska 13
- New Hampshire 6
- New Jersey 18
- New Mexico 4
- New York 59
- North Carolina 44
- North Dakota 7
- Oklahoma 20
- Oregon 17
- Pennsylvania 51
- Puerto Rico 6
- Rhode Island 6
- South Carolina 22
- South Dakota 7
- Tennessee 35
- Texas 56
- Utah 8
- Vermont 6
- Virginia 34
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 8
- Wisconsin 25