With well over 1,000 music programs offered in the U.S., it wasn’t easy to narrow it down to just 50! The aim of these annual awards is to recognize excellence specifically in terms of how U.S. post-secondary institutions serve foreign musicians in particular.

Whether it’s excellence in teaching, superior financial aid or international student services, the schools listed below go above and beyond for their foreign musician students and we thank them for helping to foster a global community of artists, right here in the United States.

* Please bear in mind the difficulty in adjudicating such a competition. The number of factors to consider is virtually endless and one student’s experience may not reflect another’s. *

With both undergraduate and graduate programs, Princeton’s reputation precedes it, even in music. While Princeton’s Department of Music may not be the oldest program in the country, what it lacks in tradition it makes up for in accomplishment. Princeton students are immersed in a community of high-caliber faculty and students alike, with opportunities to perform both on and off campus. Princeton also places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, meaning that music students will have the opportunity  to work with other departments including computer science, theater, dance, drama, and more.

Tradition is at the heart of the Cornell Music Program. The music department is as old as the university itself (over 150 years) and its glee club is the oldest club on campus. The institution prides itself on intimacy; at any given time there are only a handful of graduate and undergraduate students studying at Cornell, which means that student-faculty interaction is often very personal and hands-on. About 20% of Cornell’s student body is made up of foreign students, which can make an education at Cornell a real community experience for international musicians.

The strength of Duke’s music programs lies in its exceptional facilities, high-caliber faculty, and low student-faculty ratio. International students who attend Duke may also be able to benefit from financial aid. Duke has made a commitment both to diversity on campus and to help fund students’ educations who demonstrate need, which means that if you are an international musician interested in attending Duke but have financial constraints, you may be able to have any shortfall in tuition and other expenses covered by the university.

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is an elite school ideal for international musicians seeking an education in the realm of composition, a variety of instruments, or their unique Roots, Jazz, and American Music concentration. This institution also prides itself on a 98% rate of scholarships received by their student body. The program is also medium-small, with around 400 students, meaning an intimate experience but also enough of a musical community to foster creativity and collaboration.

One of the strongest draws for Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music is its focus on preparing its students for “portfolio careers.” They also offer a career center specifically for music majors to help them transition from student to professional musician. With a regular stream of visiting artists and speakers coming to the school, Setnor students are offered a broader education while studying within their chosen program.

Yale School of Music’s small student body (they only admit about 200 students) means that the program is intimate, with lots of personal access to their high-caliber faculty. Yale School of Music is a graduate program only, but admitted international students enjoy extensive resources to help them acclimate and thrive both at the university and in the United States. Thanks to a hefty $100 million anonymous donation back in 2005, all admitted students to this prestigious school are able to attend free of charge.

Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, the McNally Smith College of Music is ideal for international musicians wishing to pursue a contemporary music education in a beautiful setting where one-on-one attention is a priority. Not only are classes small and taught by faculty members who are also working music professionals, but approximately 95% of McNally Smith students receive some form of financial aid to help cover their tuition costs.

The SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music has a clear mission: to help prepare musicians for a music career in the 21st century. That means working with other distinguished musicians within a tight-knit community of no more than 400 music students, as well as taking advantage of all of the opportunities that come with being a short commute from New York City. Merit-based scholarships are available with no additional audition or paperwork required, and approximately 30% of students receive Conservatory of Music scholarships, which can be very helpful for foreign musicians.

NYU’s Steinhardt School is all about providing a top-tier education at the epicenter of the music industry: New York City. Students who attend NYU get to revel in the heart of it all – Greenwich Village – and take advantage of the many opportunities NYC has to offer. Master classes are taught by some of the business’ leading players and students have the privilege of collaborating with a wide variety of talented musicians from all over the world. Foreign musicians who want to plant roots in NYC get off to a solid start at NYU.

One of the earliest and most acclaimed music programs in the country can be found at Columbia University in the City of New York. One of the truly compelling aspects of studying at Columbia University in the City of New York is the ability to take classes and Juilliard and even pursue a joint degree program. For foreign musicians who wish to combine an academically-bent music education with a conservatory-style education, this may be the perfect option.