Music
Offered at 1,802 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 104 | — | $31,630 | $10,284 |
| Associate | 245 | $25,049 | $37,209 | $20,645 |
| Bachelor's | 968 | $34,409 | $46,274 | $24,375 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 1 | — | — | — |
| Master's | 295 | $37,026 | $48,770 | — |
| Doctoral | 100 | $46,394 | $58,995 | — |
| Professional | 6 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 83 | — | $45,637 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical associate program in this field reports median earnings of $25,049, versus $34,409 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berklee College of Music | MA | — | $44,786 | — |
| 2 | Atlanta Institute of Music and Media | GA | $22,648 | $31,737 | $12,416 |
| 3 | Dallas College | TX | — | $31,524 | — |
| 4 | Musicians Institute | CA | — | $28,936 | $9,500 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia College | FL | $28,815 | $39,404 | — |
| 2 | Full Sail University | FL | $30,177 | $39,224 | $27,304 |
| 3 | Miami Dade College | FL | — | $38,729 | — |
| 4 | Dallas College | TX | — | $37,980 | — |
| 5 | Nelson University | TX | — | $37,575 | — |
| 6 | St Petersburg College | FL | $19,763 | $37,209 | $13,798 |
| 7 | Finger Lakes Community College | NY | — | $36,941 | — |
| 8 | Onondaga Community College | NY | — | $34,810 | — |
| 9 | Los Angeles Film School | CA | $25,633 | $33,542 | $25,250 |
| 10 | Musicians Institute | CA | — | $30,196 | $20,000 |
| 11 | Los Angeles College of Music | CA | — | $26,297 | — |
| 12 | Snow College | UT | $24,466 | — | $13,875 |
| 13 | Atlanta Institute of Music and Media | GA | $17,213 | — | $21,291 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Silicon Valley | CA | — | $73,218 | — |
| 2 | University of Redlands | CA | — | $67,876 | $23,322 |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | — | $66,283 | $19,500 |
| 4 | Northeastern University | MA | $48,272 | $63,513 | $18,500 |
| 5 | Northeastern University Professional Programs | MA | $48,272 | $63,513 | $18,500 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | — | $63,012 | $12,750 |
| 7 | University of California-Davis | CA | — | $60,953 | $14,666 |
| 8 | New York University | NY | $39,043 | $60,683 | $21,000 |
| 9 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | $43,734 | $60,312 | $16,429 |
| 10 | The University of Texas at El Paso | TX | $59,229 | $60,159 | $17,334 |
| 11 | Central Washington University | WA | — | $60,123 | $23,899 |
| 12 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | — | $60,065 | — |
| 13 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $32,755 | $59,976 | — |
| 14 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $19,017 | $59,738 | $7,500 |
| 15 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | $54,156 | $59,068 | $16,465 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco Conservatory of Music | CA | $38,056 | — | $27,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Messiah University | PA | $66,907 | $82,732 | — |
| 2 | Sam Houston State University | TX | $67,549 | $77,505 | — |
| 3 | Central Washington University | WA | $73,824 | — | — |
| 4 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $68,967 | — | — |
| 5 | George Mason University | VA | $57,819 | $67,357 | — |
| 6 | Kansas State University | KS | — | $64,818 | — |
| 7 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | — | $63,593 | — |
| 8 | The University of Texas at El Paso | TX | $63,586 | — | — |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $44,415 | $62,853 | — |
| 10 | Montclair State University | NJ | $49,608 | $62,600 | — |
| 11 | University of Memphis | TN | $46,530 | $61,820 | — |
| 12 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | NE | — | $61,749 | — |
| 13 | Northern State University | SD | $61,168 | — | — |
| 14 | Michigan State University | MI | $51,726 | $61,025 | — |
| 15 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | — | $60,429 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | $49,498 | $80,092 | — |
| 2 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | — | $72,307 | — |
| 3 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | — | $70,231 | — |
| 4 | University of California-San Diego | CA | — | $68,176 | — |
| 5 | University of Southern California | CA | — | $66,677 | — |
| 6 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $43,154 | $66,213 | — |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $42,085 | $66,009 | — |
| 8 | Texas Tech University | TX | — | $64,874 | — |
| 9 | University of North Texas | TX | $46,394 | $63,647 | — |
| 10 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $63,619 | — | — |
| 11 | Michigan State University | MI | $54,970 | $63,207 | — |
| 12 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $62,866 | — | — |
| 13 | Boston University | MA | — | $62,514 | — |
| 14 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | $48,207 | $60,593 | — |
| 15 | Florida State University | FL | $46,785 | $59,517 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berklee College of Music | MA | — | $69,153 | — |
| 2 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $28,827 | $45,637 | — |
| 3 | The Juilliard School | NY | — | $21,311 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do music graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in music reports median earnings of $34,409. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
