Five of the 22 schools are located in northern Iowa.These schools are Luther College, Morningside College, Northwestern College, University of Northern Iowa and Wartburg College. Each college offers students the opportunity to major in music. One of these colleges, Northwestern College, is nationally recognized. The department offers five areas of study: music major/minor, music education major, music ministry major, and pre-professional programs in musical performance and music theory. Multiple ensembles are offered including jazz band, percussion ensemble, and an a cappella group. Depending on the area of study, students may travel across the country and abroad to perform.
Six of the 22 schools are located in southern Iowa, although several could be considered central Iowa. These schools are Central College, Drake University, Graceland University, Grinnell College, Simpson College and Iowa State University. At Drake University, located in Des Moines, students benefit from the large city through opportunities with the local symphony and regional ensembles. Teachers are active in the local music community, including the Des Moines Symphony. Students have the opportunity to study performance, music education, music business, piano pedagogy and jazz studies. The opportunity exists to major or minor in this department.
Eight schools are located in eastern Iowa: Clark College, Coe College, Cornell College, Loras College, Mount Mercy College, Saint Ambrose University, University of Dubuque and University of Iowa. At the University of Iowa students have two options to major within the music department: the bachelor of music degree and the bachelor of art degree. The bachelor of music is designed for those pursuing a career in music, whether performance, education or as a therapist. Students in this degree program study and practice music all four years. The bachelor of art degree is for those interested and talented in music but not planning to pursue a career in this field. Students in this program combine their music study with a degree in the arts and sciences department.
There are three schools out of 22 music programs located in western Iowa. These schools are Briar Cliff University, Buena Vista University and Dordt College. Buena Vista and Dordt are both located in northwestern Iowa. Dordt College offers four choral ensembles and three instrumental ensembles for students majoring in music or simply attracted to the study. It is a Christian school, and thus integrates the study of music and faith principles into comprehensive study.