For jazz musicians, choosing the right college can shape not only their education but also their musical future.
While many music programs offer jazz studies, certain institutions stand out for exceptional faculty, performance opportunities, and modern approaches to jazz education.
From large urban centers with endless performance opportunities to more intimate college towns, jazz schools offer their students a pathway into the professional music world.
While most of the colleges we will discuss today focus on jazz performance, we will also discuss some schools with excellent jazz composition curricula.
Here are 10 of the best jazz programs in the US. Keep in mind this list is a starting point, and plenty of other amazing colleges could be on a list like this.
Northwestern University Bienen School of Music
Northwestern’s jazz reputation, in my experience, boils down to two things:
One, the program is small, limiting the number of students to just a select number of talented students.
Two, you have to be both academically & musically excellent to gain admission. All of my students who have been accepted into Northwestern have been academically excellent students whose musicianship was extraordinarily high.
Bienen stands out among other music schools because of its trimester system, making it ideal for ambitious students pursuing dual degrees. Many students majoring in jazz find themselves seeking a dual degree program.
The jazz program is now under the direction of Derrick Gardner, former trumpet player with the Grammy-winning Count Basie Orchestra. The program is home to numerous performance opportunities, including a jazz orchestra, jazz combos, and even an inclusive arts organization called Jazz Club.
University of Miami Frost School of Music
To understand the Frost School of Music’s ideology, you have to begin with their “Frost Method” of teaching. The Frost Method consists of three major components:
- Performance excellence
- Business skills
- Music technology
Jazz students can take classes in all sorts of other musical disciplines, such as music production, music industry, etc., giving them a well-rounded education suiting them for a career in music.
The jazz program benefits from faculty like Grammy-winning drummer & MacArthur “Genius” fellow Dafnis Prieto and living legend guitar player John Hart, who was a leading jazz musician in NYC for 30 years. The faculty at Miami truly stands out for being not only “academic” but also amazing professional practitioners.
Oberlin College-Conservatory of Music
While many schools on this list benefit from being in major city locations, don’t sleep on Oberlin just because it’s in a small town.
The faculty at Oberlin is unbelievably accomplished, with many living legends on the faculty. They include individuals like Jamey Haddad, a percussionist who has collaborated with Esperanza Spalding & Yo-Yo Ma; Gary Bartz, a jazz saxophonist who has won two Grammy awards and has been active in the jazz scene since the early 1960s; and vocalist La Tanya Hall, a musician who has performed with Harry Belafonte and Diana Ross.
One unique offering of Oberlin’s jazz program is its James and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection, which is home to over 100,000 pieces related to jazz, including books, recordings, vintage posters, and more.
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music’s magic in jazz starts with its extensive performance opportunities, with students able to join various ensembles ranging from intimate combos to full big bands.
The Rainbow Big Band, one of Berklee’s ensembles brimming with talented jazz students, has performed with the likes of many jazz luminaries, such as Stefon Harris, one of the foremost living jazz mallet masters.
Other ensembles at the school adjacent to jazz include the reggae dub ensemble, as well as ensembles exploring music by jazz masters, such as The Music of Pat Metheny ensemble.
Beyond performance, Berklee is home to specialized programs like its Jazz Composition major, one of the few such programs nationwide. Students in this unique program delve deep into orchestration, big band arranging, and building a foundation in jazz writing.
University of Southern California Thornton School of Music
With its location in Los Angeles, USC is among the most desirable colleges among high school students in my experience.
At USC Thornton, jazz students find themselves surrounded by endless opportunities with everything Los Angeles has to offer.
Los Angeles itself is home to numerous jazz clubs, including Sam First, Catalina Jazz Club, and the Grand Star Jazz Club, all of which have held performances by students.
The program’s faculty includes Yellowjackets drummer Will Kennedy and Grammy-winning saxophonist Jason Goldman, known for his work with Michael Bublé. These faculty and many others are among the most accomplished in any jazz school.
What makes USC’s program stand out is how it bridges traditional jazz education with modern music education.
While students learn conventional topics like improvisation and ear training, they can also explore less traditional courses, such as MIDI sequencing and audio recording. This blend of “old-school” jazz chops and “new-school” technology helps prepare students for today’s music industry.
Manhattan School of Music
Based in New York City, with its vibrant jazz music scene, MSM brings to campus famous guest artists to work with students and teach occasional seminars, including jazz stars like trumpet player Terence Blanchard, pianist & composer Vijay Iyer, and Maria Schneider, a Grammy-winning composer and jazz big band leader.
MSM’s full-time faculty don’t just teach; they are active professionals who regularly perform & get commissioned to write new works. The faculty includes trumpet virtuoso Ingrid Jensen, who serves as MSM’s Dean of Jazz Arts, and saxophonist Donny McCaslin, a popular player regularly gigging today.
Between the world-class faculty, New York’s endless performance spots, and the chance to play with high-level classmates, MSM is a top choice on many of my jazz students’ lists.
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas made history back in 1947 as the first college to offer a jazz performance degree. Since then, it has established itself among the top jazz schools in the country.
The top jazz group at UNT is the One O’Clock Lab Band, a Grammy-nominated ensemble that features 20 musicians in its group. The Two O’Clock Lab Band follows in its footsteps, a group that has won Downbeat Magazine awards and even toured Disney World.
UNT’s educators are extraordinary musicians, including Alan Baylock, a composer and bandleader who’s worked with over 100 jazz ensembles and collaborated with legends like Maynard Ferguson and Randy Brecker.
Unique opportunities on campus include the KNTU radio station, UNT’s own station heavily featuring jazz from the school’s own students.
New England Conservatory of Music
Based in Boston, NEC features notable faculty like jazz pianist Jason Moran, the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Advisor for Jazz, legendary drummer Billy Hart, and former member of The Bad Plus Ethan Iverson.
Students frequently perform and collaborate in small “combo” ensembles, typically 5-8 players, focused on different styles, from free jazz to Brazilian music.
The school’s curriculum includes intensive study of jazz standards and theory but also encourages students to compose original works. NEC’s “Third Stream” aesthetic, started by former faculty member and legendary composer Gunther Schuller, blends jazz with classical and world music.
Performance opportunities include regular concerts at Jordan Hall, an incredible facility that is housed at the New England Conservatory. There are also many jazz clubs NEC students frequently perform at in Boston, including venues like Wally’s and Sculler’s.
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
The San Francisco Conservatory’s jazz program begins with its deep association with SFJazz, a non-profit based in San Francisco that was incepted in 2013. Shortly after, San Francisco Conservatory started its own jazz program, which is called Roots, Jazz, and American Music (RJAM for short).
Many individuals associated with the SFJazz Collective are also on the faculty at SFCM; they include notable musicians like mallet player Warren Wolf, bassist Matt Brewer, and Venezuelan pianist Edward Simon, a noted musician who has played on several Grammy-winning recordings.
SFCM is an independent conservatory in close proximity to many artistic institutions of San Francisco, including the SF Ballet, SF Orchestra, SF Opera, etc.
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music’s jazz program is equally excellent for both jazz performance and jazz composition.
Based in Rochester, NY, the program is now directed by program chair Jeff Campbell, a bassist who is fluent in both classical & jazz styles, and features faculty like virtuoso guitarist Bob Sneider and trumpeter Clay Jenkins.
Their Jazz and Contemporary Media program includes the award-winning Eastman Jazz Ensemble, directed by celebrated composer Christine Jensen (whose sister, trumpet player Ingrid Jensen, was mentioned earlier in this article as faculty at Manhattan School of Music).
Something cool about Eastman’s location in Rochester, New York, is that its students can annually attend one of the busiest jazz festivals in the world, which is aptly named the Rochester International Jazz Festival, which draws crowds of over 200,000 people a year.
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