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. *

Boston College is a relatively young program, but with approximately 40 degree options for music majors, it offers international musicians an array of options to help them choose the perfect program for them. They also offer international students a wide variety of programs to help them acclimate in America, including an international assistant program, conversation programs, support groups, and more.

With discriminating tastes, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Music promises a high-quality education in a conservatory-like environment. This school offers lower tuition rates than many, making it a more affordable option, even for out-of-country students. The UIUC boasts over 10,000 international students from 112 countries, making them one of the top public institutions in the U.S. for foreign students.

The 8th oldest college in America, Rutgers University has built its reputation on its strong traditions and values. Its Mason Gross School of the Arts is ideal for foreign students focusing on jazz for 3 reasons: affordability (it has been rated in the top 100 most affordable schools), location (less than an hour from NYC), and prestige. Faculty includes such luminaries as Ralph Bowen and Conrad Berwig, and their star-studded list of graduates includes Kenny Davis, Orrin Evans, and many more. Students also have performance opportunities at legendary venues such as the NYC, which can be extremely useful for building a portfolio for future work visas should students wish to stay in the U.S.A. beyond their studies.

The University of Iowa’s School of Music strikes a healthy balance between large and small: there are enough music students to collaborate and grow creatively (there are over 30 ensembles), but not so many that class sizes swell. This school also boasts a wealth of services especially for international students, including a number of campus resources such as programs to foster community through diversity on campus, nationality organizations, online resources just for international students (organized by visa type), and much more.

With a focus on performance and a significant number of Grammys earned by its students, Harvard University’s Department of Music is a draw for any international student who wishes to pair the prestige of a Harvard education with the uniqueness of the Harvard music program. Graduates of this acclaimed program include the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Leonard Bernstein, and many more.

DePaul’s more than 3,000 musician graduates have gone on to perform all over the world, including in dozens of symphony orchestras. The University has long been recognized for its innovation in academics, and one of the most impressive current displays of this innovation is the brand new facility for their School of Music, currently under construction and slated for completion in 2018. The faculty is comprised of working professional musicians, which can really help foreign students put their best foot forward as far as beginning their own professional music career in the United States.

Arizona State University’s School of Music offers a nationally and internationally acclaimed faculty and over 500 performances each year. Approximately half of their students received merit-based scholarships each year to help fund their studies and, for international students in particular, these awards can help them achieve artist visas once their studies are complete, if they wish to stay in the U.S.

The Los Angeles College of Music is distinct in that it offers not only music performance degrees but also degrees in production, composition, and even music business (a must for musicians interested in learning how to create innovative revenue streams for themselves in the modern music industry). With an intimate student population of fewer than 200 (about half of which are international students), a faculty of working industry professionals, and opportunities to perform alongside real L.A. professional musicians, the L.A. College of Music is a compelling choice for foreign musicians who desire an intensive, integrative music education in the United States.

Loyola University New Orleans School of Music is a premiere destination for foreign musicians wishing to rub elbows with Grammy winners and internationally acclaimed musicians from a wide variety of musical genres. Loyola students regularly make headlines, a must not only for advancing your music career but, for international musicians in particular, gaining national acclaim and attention is one of the strongest ways to secure a longer term artistic visa once your student visa has expired, which enables foreign artists to stay, live, and work in the U.S. should they wish to do so.

Students who choose the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music are often blown away by the focus and attention placed on the individual student. There are over 500 students in the College of Music, but with a student-faculty ratio of nearly 1 to 6, attention is still individualized and hands-on. The College also offers programs in entrepreneurship and musicians’ wellness, a further testament to this school’s desire to foster well-rounded and successful musicians. Foreign musicians who study here will also benefit from being automatically considered for merit-based financial aid upon enrollment, with full tuition scholarships possible.