<p>If your aim is college teaching, you should try to get into the most prominent schools in your area (and as far as this list goes, among the most prominent in the country – you are well located geographically): in that respect, Columbia, Princeton, NYU, CUNY, and Stony Brook are probably stronger programs than Rutgers. CUNY music department, which is the most affordable without a fellowship, has been very highly ranked over the years. On the other hand, the Rutgers program you mention offers a wider range of degrees than all of the above, apart from Stony Brook – performance degrees up to the DMA. That is also a “doctorate,” and there are DMA’s teaching at conservatories and colleges; it is probably a shorter-term endeavor as well.</p>