Billboard Names Loyola University New Orleans a Top Music Business School for Sixth Consecutive Year
NEW ORLEANS – 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/