For the fourth year in a row, Billboard magazine has named Delta State University’s Delta Music Institute as one of the top music business schools in the world.
The unranked list, which appeared in the Oct. 25 issue of the magazine, has Delta State alongside other schools such as Abbey Road Institute in London, Berklee College of Music in Boston and Spain, Belmont University in Nashville, and Middle Tennessee State University. Schools were selected on industry recommendations, alumni success, faculty credentials, and information provided by each institution, combined with nearly a decade of research by Billboard staff.
Here’s what Billboard wrote, in part, about Delta State.
Students ready to embrace technology, creativity, and business strategy will find their muse at the university’s Delta Music Institute program. Located in the famed region that gave birth to the blues, the institute provides a bachelor of science in entertainment industry studies along with experience in studio facilities that include a Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio Studio. Students also participate in real-world projects like live-event production and gain experience through partnerships with Grammy Museum Mississippi, GrammyU, and lessons leading to an Avid Learning Pro Tools Certification.”
Delta State’s Music Institute, also known as its Entertainment Industries Studies program, is intended to develop a broad range of skills in audio engineering technology and entertainment industry entrepreneurship, providing students with a foundational base of knowledge for working in various entertainment industry careers. The program promises that alumni will be prepared for the technical, business, and legal issues that confront the entertainment industry in not only today’s world but also the future.
The DMI has notched the honor from Billboard in 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025. It’s the only Mississippi school to be included on the list in any of those years.
“Being recognized by Billboard for the fourth year in a row underscores the incredible dedication of our faculty, students, and staff,” DMI Director and Entertainment Industry Studies Chair Richard Tremmel said.
For more information on the DMI at Delta State, click here.
