China's "Nine Great Conservatories" (九大音乐学院) include 中央 (Beijing), 上海, 中国 (Beijing, separate from 中央), 星海 (Guangzhou), 武汉, 四川, 西安, 沈阳, and 天津 - entering any of them is extremely competitive.
usage
学院 (academy/college) ranks one tier below 大学 (university) in Chinese tertiary education, but top conservatories like 中央音乐学院 carry prestige rivaling any full university.
