For the fifth 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, Delta State officials announced Monday.
The unranked annual list, which has not been released in full yet, is expected to have 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. Each year, schools are selected on industry recommendations, alumni success, faculty credentials, and information provided by the institution, combined with research of Billboard staff.
“Being recognized by Billboard for five consecutive years is an extraordinary honor for the Delta Music Institute and for Delta State University,” DMI Director Dr. Richard Tremmel said. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff, the accomplishments of our students and alumni, and our continued commitment to providing students with relevant, hands-on preparation for careers throughout the entertainment industry.”
The DMI, also known as Delta State’s 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.
This fall, the DMI expanded and added a Live Entertainment Technology concentration that opens curriculum into areas such as concert production, live sound, lighting, video, staging, and other technologies that support the entertainment industry.
The DMI has notched the honor from Billboard in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and now 2026. It’s the only Mississippi school to be included on the list in any of those years.
“Five straight years of recognition tells us that what we are doing is being noticed beyond our campus and our region,” Tremmel said. “More importantly, it gives our students validation that they are studying in a program that is respected nationally by the industry they hope to enter.”