L.Dre (a producer who’s had viral hits on TikTok and has worked with Honda, Samsung, Dr., and Pepper) said that your success as a producer does not hinge on whether or not you have a degree in music.

It’s all about how good you are.

“Let me tell you this straight up: no one gives a flying f*ck if you have a degree in music production,” he said.

But he goes on to say he made a lot of great connections through school, which is one of the best reasons to enroll.

Yes, you will learn a lot at music school, but earning a degree in music doesn’t automatically make you better at producing music than everyone else.

Producer and engineer Warren Huart (Aerosmith, James Blunt, Ramones) said having a degree is great, but it doesn’t mean you’re more of an expert than someone who learned a different way.

“Degrees, PhDs, whatever, those are nice to have,” he said. “And if you ever want to go into teaching, having a PhD means you can be a professor of music and that’s fantastic. …But…all of the good ones…would never put themselves on some kind of pedestal just because they have a PhD.”

That being said, many Grammy Award-winning producers attended music school and it was beneficial to their career, some of whom we mention in this article. It’s all about doing what makes the most sense for your career goals.

If you’re confident you want to become a music producer and you want to go to school for it, the best degree to get would either be music production or audio engineering. Both of those will teach you what you need to know and give you the chance to make connections.

Check out our picks for the best music production schools in the U.S. Each section shares a bit about why the university could be a good option for you as well as a list of musicians and music producers who also attended each school.

• Location: Boston, Massachusetts; New York City; Valencia, Spain
• Annual Costs: Degree: $73,471 / Diploma: $67,331

In Berklee’s renowned Music Production and Engineering program, students earn a Bachelor of Music in MP&E, which requires a solid math and physics background.

The university also owns Power Station Studios in NYC, where students manage the studios, giving them hands-on experience. Berklee also offers online courses, certificates, and degrees in music production and audio engineering.

On top of that, Berklee offers a Master of Music in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation at their New York City and Valencia campuses.

Berklee claims 141 alumni have gone on to win Grammy Awards. Here are a few notable musicians, producers, and composers who attended the university:

• John Mayer
• Maggie Rogers
• Bruce Hornsby
• Quincy Jones
• Aimee Mann
• Gillian Welch
• Esperanza Spalding
• Alan Silvestri

Music was always a passion for Rogers, and music school helped her along her path to success.

“I started writing music when I was about 12 and started producing my own music when I was 15,” she said. “And then I went to school to study engineering production…so I’ve always just wanted to do this one thing and I’ve been working my entire life at making myself as educated and capable and skilled at that one thing as possible.”

• Location: Winter Park, Florida (near Orlando)
• Estimated annual tuition, fees, & living costs: $40,363

Full Sail offers a wide range of programs, like Music Production, Audio Production, and Recording Arts. Some programs are available online, and their certificate in Audio Production can be completed in as little as five months.

Full Sail has an impressive list of musicians and producers who attended the school, including:

• Andrew Coleman (producer/engineer: Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, N*E*R*D, Lenny Kravitz, Christina Aguilera, P!nk)
• Benjamin Rice (producer/songwriter/engineer: Lady Gaga, Elton John, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Julia Michaels, John Legend, James Bay)
• Jordan “DJ Swivel” Young (producer/songwriter/engineer: Beyoncé, The Chainsmokers, Coldplay, Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, BTS, Lil Nas X, Dua Lipa)
• Josh Gudwin (producer/composer/engineer: Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Shakira, Sabrina Carpenter)
• Sebastian Krys (producer/engineer: Elvis Costello, Juanes, Shakira, Luis Fonsi, Nathy Peluso, Alejandro Sanz, Jennifer Lopez)
• Tremaine Williams (producer/composer/engineer: Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, NBC, FOX, AppleTV+)

Rice said his education led him to work on projects that have been truly rewarding for him, the people involved, and the fans of his work.

“I love that I’ve been able to work with so many incredibly talented people, to learn so much, and to to be so fortunate, to be a part of things that have had impact in the world that mean something to other people,” he said.

• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Annual Costs: $74,491

Carnegie Mellon’s Music and Technology program blends audio engineering, computer science, and music, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Plus, the program includes cutting-edge courses in areas like musical robotics.

Many musical forces have attended Carnegie Mellon, mostly singers and orchestra-related talents, including Josh Groban and Leslie Odom Jr.

“It was the number one on my list of schools that I wanted to go to,” Groban said of CMU. “And I learned a lot. It taught me right off the bat the kind of discipline, the kind of team work, the kind of all-in mentality I would have to have…”

• Location: Various U.S. and global campuses
• Annual Costs: $47,739

SAE offers a range of audio engineering programs, like a Bachelor of Applied Science or an Audio Diploma. With six U.S. locations and several global campuses, SAE provides both on-campus and online learning options for aspiring music producers and audio engineers.

Singer Rich Prince transferred to SAE and said he started learning about music right away.

“SAE was just more like…direct hands-on,” he said. “‘Let’s just get straight to it and teach me what I want to know.”

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Annual Costs: $79,063

USC’s Thornton School offers a Bachelor of Music in Music Production, blending digital music production with disciplines like composition, performance, and live acoustic recording. The program integrates music technology with cross-disciplinary art forms, like film.

Several USC Thornton School of Music alumni have been nominated for Emmy Awards.

In a discussion with the Chair of the USC Thornton School of Music Popular Music program, guitarist Ari O’Neal (Beyoncé, SZA, Lizzo) gives sound advice to some USC Thornton students.

“Just always be open to saying yes,” she said. “Even if you think you can’t do something… And then figure it out later, because you will figure it out.”

• Location: Miami, Florida
• Annual Costs: $73,712

Located at the University of Miami, Frost offers both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Music. The programs blend traditional music studies with recording, mixing, and signal-processing techniques. As an undergraduate, you will gain technical skills in electrical engineering and computer science, while the Master’s program requires a background in computer science or electrical engineering.

Frost School of Music alumni have gone on to win many awards as musicians, composers, and singer-songwriters.

Award-winning composer David Horace Davies said the people are what made Frost a great choice for him.

“The first thing that attracted me to Frost was the faculty I met when I interviewed,” he said. “They clearly cared about me as an individual and it was obvious that they enjoyed a real camaraderie with each other.”

• Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Annual Costs: Out-of-state: $43,936 / In-state: $24,250

Near Nashville’s thriving music scene, MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry is frequently recognized by Billboard Magazine as a top U.S. school for audio engineering. Offering a Bachelor of Science in Audio Production and a Master of Fine Arts in Recording Arts and Technology, you can also choose from technical minors like computer science or entrepreneurship.

MTSU alumni have gone on to gain notoriety in music, including Amy Lee (lead singer of Evanescence), Hillary Scott (lead singer of Lady A), Julien Baker (member of boygenius), and Sharon Van Etten.

After starting an audio engineering degree at MTSU, Baker paused school because of her musical success. Then later, she finished with an English degree after her tours were canceled due to the 2020 pandemic.

She said it gave her the structure and skills she felt she needed.

“…The reason why I chose to do audio engineering instead of songwriting or visual art or something is because I had it in my mind that I needed to have a marketable skill,” she said.

• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Annual Costs: $70,457

Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design offers a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry Studies. Within that, you can focus on music technology and production, working at Drexel’s independent label, Mad Dragon Records. Drexel is known for its strong post-graduation job placement help.

The most notable graduate of Drexel is Howard Benson, Grammy Award-winning music producer and engineer (My Chemical Romance, The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Santana, Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson).

“I went to Drexel University in Philadelphia,” he said. “It was the real deal and it was really hard…”

• Location: Lowell, Massachusetts
• Annual Costs: Out-of-state: $49,054 / In-state: $31,128 / Regional: $42,668

UMass Lowell offers a highly-rated Sound Recording Technology program where you can earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees – the five-year program lets you earn both degrees. They will require you to audition in order to get into any program in the Music Department.

The most notable music producer and audio engineer who graduated from UMass is Bob Weston. Weston hosted a music program on the UMass student radio channel WJUL.

“WJUL changed my life,” he said.

• Location: Cleveland, Ohio
• Annual Costs: In-state: $4,000-8,000 / Out-of-state: $8,000-17,000

Tri-C’s Recording Arts and Technology program is housed in the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, a facility co-managed with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The school offers a Certificate or an Associate’s Degree in Recording Arts and has a transfer agreement with Berklee College of Music.

• Location: Hollywood, California
• Annual Costs: $47,088

Musicians Institute offers degrees and certificates in audio engineering and music production, with tracks for music business and songwriting as well. They also offer online courses in related areas, like electronic music production.

Many famous musicians and producers have attended the Musicians Institute, including Anderson .Paak, Jeff Buckley, Steve Vai, Chad Smith, and Tanya Chua.

“School was really, really, really fun,” said Smith, drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers. “And it was a lot of hard work. …You should know that this is a great place to hone your craft and to meet and play with other great musicians and to learn from wonderful, smart, intelligent, powerful, rich and handsome teachers.”

Every music production school is unique in its own way and each program will offer a slightly different education. But there are basic production elements that you’ll learn about regardless of where you go.

Here are some of the main things you’ll learn through a music production program:

• Audio engineering fundamentals: learn about signal flow, recording techniques, microphone placement, mixing, and mastering
• Studio setup and acoustics: learn how sound moves around a room and how to set up your recording space to get the best sound
• Production techniques: learn genre-based methods and tools to produce an emotive track
• Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs): learn how to use industry-standard software (like Pro Tools and Logic Pro) and how to use plugins and effects to shape sound
• Music theory and arrangement: learn the basics of music theory, song structure, instrumentation, and how to put it all together into a song
• Live sound engineering: learn techniques for setting up and running live sound for concerts, shows, or performances
• Sound Design: this could include learning about synthesizers, sampling sounds, and Foley recording
• Music business, networking, and portfolio development: learn how to use your music production education to build a career for yourself