Accreditation for the B.A. in Music
The Bachelor of Arts in Music is offered by the Department of Music in the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design. High Point University’s SACSCOC accreditation includes the degree and the minors in voice, piano or organ, instrumental studies and musical theater.
Admission to the major is by audition. Prospective music majors and minors register for an audition and earn acceptance into the department before they begin applied study.
What Accreditation Means for Music Graduates
Graduate programs, conservatories and teacher licensure programs look for a degree from an institutionally accredited university. HPU music majors have used that degree to continue into master’s and doctoral programs in performance, conducting, choral music education and sacred music.
Where HPU Music Majors Continue Their Study
HPU music majors have been accepted into graduate programs at:
- Peabody Conservatory
- University of Michigan
- Florida State University
- Southern Methodist University
- Howard University
- East Carolina University
- Virginia Tech
- Trinity Lutheran Seminary
University Accreditation
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has been continuously accredited since 1951. SACSCOC has granted HPU Level V status, which authorizes a university to award doctoral degrees.
Student Research at the College Music Society
The department houses a student chapter of the College Music Society, and HPU students have presented at CMS regional conferences since 2016. Faculty mentor proposal writing and submission inside the Musicianship courses.
An International Piano Competition on Campus
The Department of Music hosts an annual international piano competition, and guest artists from the international concert, opera, music theater, jazz and popular music stages work with students each year.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments, judged against CUR’s Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research.
High Point University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 ranks High Point University #1 for Most Innovative Schools and #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Universities in the South. HPU also ranks #1 in its category for Earnings by Major, a new U.S. News factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition ranks High Point University #3 for Best-Run Colleges, #3 for Best College Dorms and #3 for Most Beautiful Campus. HPU is the only university in North Carolina ranked in the top 5 for all three.
Niche’s 2027 rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina for Best College Campuses, Best College Dorms and Best College Food, and #8 in North Carolina for Colleges with the Best Professors.
Measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, 99% of HPU’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days, 13 points above the national average.
What Music Students Say About the Program
Students in Music and related majors describe how HPU prepared them for their careers.
Blake Horne
Music and Neuroscience major · Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, Taiwan
“I feel that this experience will greatly help me in my music interests by allowing me to immerse myself in the Taiwanese musical culture.”
Laura Hutchins
Music major · Master of Music graduate program, East Carolina University
“HPU’s program gives its students many opportunities to learn new things and to expand our interests.”
Thomas Lyons
Music major · Church Music graduate program, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
“My time at High Point University has opened doors in my life that I once thought were impossible when I took my break from education.”
Music in the News
Gavin Conniff
HPU Invites Community Members to Campus for Cultural Events
… HPU senior voice major, Gavin Conniff, winner of this year’s HPU Student Concerto Competition.
Explore Music at High Point University
See the courses music majors take and where HPU music graduates go next.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Dr. Marc Foster, chair of the Department of Music, at [email protected].