San Rafael highlight
Strong arts
San Rafael is home to the Ali Akbar College of Music, Dominican University of California, and the Rafael Film Center, anchoring the city's cultural and educational life.
The Ali Akbar College of Music opened in San Rafael in 1968, having relocated from Berkeley. Founded by renowned musician Ali Akbar Khan, the college teaches Indian classical music to students from San Rafael and beyond. The institution has achieved national recognition—recordings from its archives were selected by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry in 2003. The college brings world-class musical instruction and cultural exchange to San Rafael, making the city a center for classical Indian music in California.
Dominican University of California, a private university located in San Rafael, serves undergraduate and graduate students across a range of disciplines. The university contributes to the city's educational landscape and cultural vitality through its programs, events, and community partnerships. The Rafael Film Center stands as another important cultural institution, presenting films and cultural programming throughout the year. Together, these institutions create a robust arts and cultural environment where creativity, learning, and cultural expression thrive.
Communities that invest in arts and culture tend to attract families who value education and cultural engagement. These are households that think about the future: college funds, arts lessons for children, cultural experiences as part of family life. Life insurance for these families means that investments in education and culture, and the household's stability itself, can continue even if circumstances change unexpectedly.