Billboard Names Loyola University New Orleans a Top Music Business School for Sixth Consecutive Year
The School of Music and Theatre Professions at Loyola University New Orleans has once again earned international recognition as one of the world’s top music business programs, extending its streak to six consecutive years.
Billboard has named Loyola to its 2026 list of Top Music Business Schools, announced in its Oct. 3 issue. Loyola joins a select group of leading music business programs on this year’s list, including American University’s Business and Entertainment Program in Washington, D.C.; the Abbey Road Institute in London, England; the Commercial Music Program at Tennessee State University in Nashville; and the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA in Los Angeles.
Kate Duncan, director of the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Music Industry Studies at Loyola, said the School prepares students not just for the music business that exists today, but to lead whatever comes next, without losing sight of the human creativity and connection that make music matter.
“Six years running with Billboard is an incredible honor, and we haven’t spent those six years standing still at Loyola,” Duncan said. “The music business changes by the minute, and so do we. We’ve rebuilt our curriculum around the belief that true creative business is built on problem-solving skills, entrepreneurial drive and human relationships. As a result, our students get real opportunities to run businesses, generate revenue, work with clients, harness emerging technology, and build professional networks from New Orleans to Los Angeles to London and beyond.”
The magazine cited the School’s recent launch of Wolf Moon Entertainment, a University-embedded collective of student-run businesses designed to give students industry-ready, career-shaping experience in music performance, music management, design and more.
The School, which recently launched the 4+1 degree partnership that provides a seamless transition from undergraduate studies into its Master of Business Administration program, counts among its alumni Kendall Cousin, who is the senior director of international marketing at Interscope Records, and Chaz Sexton, chief engineer at East/West Studios. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the London Summer Music Industry Program and the newly launched Hollywood Program.
“Loyola students receive an education that is second to none,” said Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, dean of the College of Music and Media. “We challenge them academically, develop their professional expertise and give them opportunities to put what they learn into practice. Our students graduate with more than a degree. They leave Loyola with the confidence, creativity, connections and experience to build meaningful careers in the music industry, and to become the leaders who will shape its future. Billboard’s recognition is a powerful testament to the quality of that education.”
Duncan cited the addition of several accomplished new faculty members as another reflection of the School’s commitment to providing students with an education that keeps them ahead of the rapidly evolving music industry. Dawn Richard, a member of the acclaimed group Danity Kane, is teaching Popular and Commercial Music, and Grammy Award-nominated vocalist Jaime Woods is working with the Singer-Songwriter Ensemble and Pop Ensemble.
The school counts among its alumni Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum ’11, who made both Forbes and Fortune’s Top 100 lists, and Carter Lang ’13, who co-wrote and produced “Sunflower” for Post Malone – one of the most downloaded songs in the world. Lang received his 11th Grammy nod in 2026 for Justin Bieber’s album “SWAG.”
Read the Billboard article here: https://www.billboard.com/pro/top-music-business-schools-2026-list
About Music Business
This degree offers students a solid foundation in intellectual property issues, management, marketing, entrepreneurship and other key concepts necessary to succeeding in today’s music industry. Students learn through experience in state-of-the art recording studios and through immersion in New Orleans, an international creative and cultural destination.
About the College of Music and Media
The College of Music and Media is comprised of two schools — the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the School of Communication and Design. Students who choose to study in the college prepare for careers in music, theatre, music business, design, filmmaking, strategy, mass media and more.