I have always considered Cleveland and Indiana at the top of the heap. Others may differ, but as the CA sage says, YMMV.

Thanks Hilary. At the moment this is theoretical and informational only. But I'll keep this in mind!

For organ performance, my vote is for Eastman, with Julliard as a second.

Notre Dame comes to mind.

University of Michigan.

I don't see it as a negative to have saturation in a degree area. To me it means that with so many DMA's the very best with the best resumes will get the jobs, thus raising overall quality.

And you'd be right, except for a few things. First, we'd like to think that's how the hiring process works in higher education. It's not. I've seen too many excellent all-around choral conductors not get jobs, and seeing who actually got the job left me scratching my head as to whether it's really a meritocracy, and if it is, exactly what the criteria is.

Also I see a ton of technicians abounding in the field. (This applies primarily to the US.) Where (my sense is) in the 80s and early 90s, the pendulum may have been stacked too high on feel-good choral performance, at conferences I now see [too] many technically wonderful performances devoid of any feeling or audience connection. But this total swing in the opposite direction doesn't seem to concern the "market" at all.

Many of the faculty in choral DMA programs are only just beginning to realize how difficult the job market is for their students. (A lot of the old timers refuse to acknowledge it and think things are just as they were in their day.) And the curriculum and prevailing attitude of many DMA programs is that the students are all going to hold university positions upon graduation, and those who do not are failures.

I know this may come across as bitter, and I'm trying hard not to be so, because I'm honestly happy and content with how my own post-DMA life has turned out. I've had opportunities to serve the Church in the past few years that I frankly enjoy more and wouldn't have had had I gone the traditional route, but I just want those interested in following that route to know the truth of the higher ed choral world. It is not for the faint of heart! - and that statement has nothing at all to do with musical resolve!

Thanks Skip. That's good insight and information. My personal philosophy for ME is that I'd like to get the highest level of education possible without going into massive debt to do it, thus opening up as many opportunities as possible be they church work, being a professor, teaching high school, etc.

One can hope and plan and work towards one's goals, but it is ridiculous to function as if the primary goal of Doctorate programs (in any field) is creating University professors.

Exactly, but as the exponential growth of the DMA-required position, and university music programs in general coincided with the period when many of today's DMA-program directors got their start, they are unaware of this.