Founded in 1905 as the Institute of Musical Art, Juilliard was one of the first of its kind in America. It currently enrolls more than 600 students in the areas of music, dance and drama. It is the most famous of all conservatories and attracts thousands of applicants each year, accepting only 8 percent of the applicants for each school year. Juilliard offers programs in the college division, which is a full-time student program, and an evening division, which is also full-time but offers classes of the evenings for those students who have other responsibilities and commitments.
The NEC enrolls more than 700 college students and 1,400 prep students and accepts about 30 percent of its annual applicants. Created in 1867, the NEC now offers college programs in 10 disciplines, including Piano, Composition, and Voice and Opera. The NEC's Jazz program is considered to be exceptional. Financial aid is available to offset tuition costs.
More than 600 students attend the Midwestern Oberlin Conservatory of Music, which is part of Oberlin College. This the oldest, continuously operating conservatory in the country. Offerings range from Electronic and Computer Music to Composition. Tuition assistance is available, and nearly all students qualify for some financial aid. Housing is available on campus, and all first year students are required to live on campus.
A smaller school of music, the San Francisco Conservatory enrolls around 400 students and has an excellent chamber music program. Some of the departments at San Francisco include Voice, Composition, Brass and Woodwinds. The San Francisco Conservatory offers preparatory programs for young musicians, a full-time college program and adult classes for the enrichment of part-time students.