Which state pays music bachelor's graduates the most?

Texas, where the median program pays its graduates $47,010 in their first year, the highest of 15 state rankings. Virginia is next, at $34,611.

Which music bachelor's program pays the most?

Sam Houston State in Texas reports the highest first-year pay of the 226 programs ranked here, $59,926. Its median federal debt is $28,000.

How much debt do music bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $26,000 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 92% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Music (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

229 programs report first-year pay
15 state rankings
Bachelor's in Music

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median music bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $25,532 in their first year and $40,860 five years after. Texas has the highest state median ($47,010), and New York the lowest ($19,145). The median program leaves its graduates with $26,000 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$25,532Across 229 programs

Median pay after 5 years$40,860Across 226 programs

Median federal debt$26,000Across 255 programs

Debt-to-earnings92%Across 206 programs

All 226 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Sam Houston StateHuntsville, TX · public	$59,926	$61,743	$47,434	$28,000	47%
2	UTRGVEdinburg, TX · public	$56,373	$58,082	$59,947	$20,920	37%
3	Texas A&M-KingsvilleKingsville, TX · public	$56,072	$57,772	$60,646	$31,000	55%
4	UTEPEl Paso, TX · public	$56,062	$57,762	Not reported	$14,612	26%
5	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$52,799	$54,400	$58,649	$26,000	49%
6	East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, TX · public	$52,282	$53,867	$48,875	$27,101	52%
7	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$51,158	$52,709	$51,050	$26,241	51%
8	West Texas A&M UniversityCanyon, TX · public	$50,881	$52,424	$51,184	$24,750	49%
9	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$49,906	$51,419	$51,813	$27,816	56%
10	Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnville, PA · private nonprofit	$49,383	$50,612	$42,353	$26,846	54%
11	Stephen F. AustinNacogdoches, TX · public	$47,318	$48,753	$57,180	$27,000	57%
12	University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · public	$47,151	$47,161	$49,099	$31,000	66%
13	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$47,010	$48,435	$55,874	$24,570	52%
14	Luther CollegeDecorah, IA · private nonprofit	$45,367	Not adjusted	$47,981	$27,000	60%
15	Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN · public	$44,635	Not adjusted	Not reported	$17,500	39%
16	Texas Woman's UniversityDenton, TX · public	$44,058	$45,394	Not reported	$25,810	59%
17	UW-Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI · public	$43,764	$46,510	$45,767	$26,637	61%
18	Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	$42,830	$42,848	$31,511	$29,000	68%
19	University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT · public	$42,548	$43,037	$51,815	$16,500	39%
20	Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX · public	$42,328	$43,611	$53,712	$26,407	62%
21	Southeastern Louisiana UniversityHammond, LA · public	$41,404	Not adjusted	$39,983	$30,745	74%
22	Indiana StateTerre Haute, IN · public	$41,038	$43,971	$45,102	$27,000	66%
23	Radford UniversityRadford, VA · public	$39,593	$39,161	$41,921	$27,000	68%
24	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$39,564	$40,764	$52,699	$26,000	66%
25	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$39,121	$44,576	$37,858	$27,783	71%
26	Austin PeayClarksville, TN · public	$39,008	$42,460	Not reported	$31,000	79%
27	UNC CharlotteCharlotte, NC · public	$38,831	$41,167	Not reported	$25,858	67%
28	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$38,811	Not adjusted	$46,649	$27,000	70%
29	Montana StateBozeman, MT · public	$38,807	Not adjusted	$46,471	Not reported	Not reported
30	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$38,657	$41,235	$48,505	$27,000	70%
31	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$38,656	$40,176	$40,644	$26,750	69%
32	Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	$38,277	$37,143	$53,174	$26,837	70%
33	Ole MissUniversity, MS · public	$38,029	Not adjusted	Not reported	$17,250	45%
34	Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, PA · public	$37,660	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	72%
35	Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL · public	$37,163	Not adjusted	$50,907	$26,300	71%
36	UT TylerTyler, TX · public	$37,104	$38,229	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
37	UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public	$37,020	$38,143	$53,273	$24,911	67%
38	RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	$36,707	$33,737	$46,231	$26,000	71%
39	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$36,465	$41,944	$54,202	$29,139	80%
40	McNeese StateLake Charles, LA · public	$36,305	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,250	64%
41	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$36,293	Not adjusted	$27,350	$25,062	69%
42	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$36,252	$39,076	$40,932	$27,000	74%
43	JMUHarrisonburg, VA · public	$36,106	$35,712	$45,783	$20,968	58%
44	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$35,939	$39,573	Not reported	$27,000	75%
45	UMSLSaint Louis, MO · public	$35,835	$39,458	$42,194	Not reported	Not reported
46	University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL · public	$35,599	Not adjusted	$39,095	$24,000	67%
47	UMass LowellLowell, MA · public	$35,311	$33,389	$59,730	$27,000	76%
48	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$34,882	$36,253	$45,043	$29,198	84%
49	Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	$34,823	Not adjusted	$48,276	$18,166	52%
50	Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · public	$34,766	$38,561	$43,735	$24,317	70%
51	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$34,611	$34,233	$46,718	$24,048	69%
52	Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI · public	$34,549	Not adjusted	$49,042	$14,133	41%
53	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$34,428	Not adjusted	$41,644	$27,357	79%
54	Murray StateMurray, KY · public	$34,098	Not adjusted	$46,197	$26,731	78%
55	Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL · public	$34,079	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,500	69%
56	Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$33,430	Not adjusted	Not reported	$13,000	39%
57	Hunter CollegeNew York, NY · public	$33,384	$30,934	$29,383	Not reported	Not reported
58	Grace Christian UniversityWyoming, MI · private nonprofit	$33,256	$34,564	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
59	Capital UniversityColumbus, OH · private nonprofit	$33,143	$35,724	$44,322	$27,000	81%
60	Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA · public	$33,070	$33,893	$42,093	$27,956	85%
61	Columbia UniversityNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$32,924	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
62	Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	$32,911	$34,205	$46,187	$26,000	79%
63	Jacksonville StateJacksonville, AL · public	$32,893	Not adjusted	$48,790	$27,500	84%
64	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$32,887	$35,449	Not reported	$30,000	91%
65	UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · public	$32,880	$34,858	$41,458	$19,000	58%
66	Illinois StateNormal, IL · public	$32,853	$32,867	$44,586	$20,500	62%
67	Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ · public	$32,781	$30,128	$58,894	$26,500	81%
68	Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL · public	$32,666	$32,680	$46,354	$30,000	92%
69	University of TulsaTulsa, OK · private nonprofit	$32,253	$36,717	Not reported	$21,500	67%
70	University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA · public	$32,175	$36,662	$38,893	$19,500	61%
71	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$31,888	$34,710	$38,564	$23,453	74%
72	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$31,780	$32,224	Not reported	$24,427	77%
73	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$31,621	$28,559	$30,461	$15,000	47%
74	UNTDenton, TX · public	$31,450	$32,404	$52,244	$24,456	78%
75	Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA · public	$31,429	$32,211	$41,602	Not reported	Not reported
76	University of Saint Francis-Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · private nonprofit	$31,373	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
77	The Master's UniversitySanta Clarita, CA · private nonprofit	$31,340	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,334	81%
78	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$31,336	$30,244	$46,374	$25,000	80%
79	Northwest UniversityKirkland, WA · private nonprofit	$31,179	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,500	63%
80	UW-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · public	$31,134	$33,088	$46,845	$27,000	87%
81	Morehead StateMorehead, KY · public	$31,088	$34,481	$35,822	$25,000	80%
82	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$30,716	$29,488	$49,668	$27,000	88%
83	University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO · public	$30,321	Not adjusted	$46,340	$21,750	72%
84	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$30,191	Not adjusted	$34,902	Not reported	Not reported
85	Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · public	$30,106	$33,392	$38,429	$20,379	68%
86	East Tennessee StateJohnson City, TN · public	$30,004	$32,659	$24,436	$23,000	77%
87	Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	$29,630	$28,667	Not reported	$19,184	65%
88	CU DenverDenver, CO · public	$29,483	$28,610	$36,502	$27,000	92%
89	VCURichmond, VA · public	$28,989	$28,672	$42,111	$27,000	93%
90	Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL · private nonprofit	$28,137	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	96%
91	Cal State Monterey BaySeaside, CA · public	$28,009	$25,297	Not reported	$18,920	68%
92	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$28,003	Not adjusted	$36,347	$27,000	96%
93	Montclair StateMontclair, NJ · public	$27,977	$25,713	$47,270	$27,000	97%
94	Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$27,854	$28,547	$40,539	$27,000	97%
95	Cal State San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA · public	$27,724	$25,040	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
96	Vermont StateRandolph, VT · public	$27,719	Not adjusted	$39,862	Not reported	Not reported
97	Middle Tennessee StateMurfreesboro, TN · public	$27,586	$30,027	$48,653	$22,608	82%
98	Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA · private nonprofit	$27,556	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
99	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$27,353	$29,774	$46,852	$22,060	81%
100	University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · public	$27,050	Not adjusted	$37,262	$22,625	84%
101	University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	$26,944	$26,146	Not reported	$24,354	90%
102	San Francisco Conservatory of MusicSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$26,916	Not adjusted	$27,321	$27,000	100%
103	Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersville, PA · public	$26,895	$27,564	Not reported	$27,000	100%
104	UW-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · public	$26,875	$28,562	$39,577	$25,750	96%
105	William Paterson University of New JerseyWayne, NJ · public	$26,621	$24,467	Not reported	$26,875	101%
106	Wheaton CollegeWheaton, IL · private nonprofit	$26,540	Not adjusted	$42,365	$24,556	93%
107	Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	$26,135	$27,707	$48,930	$27,000	103%
108	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$26,084	$28,116	$38,830	$27,000	104%
109	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$26,011	Not adjusted	$41,073	$25,000	96%
110	Winthrop UniversityRock Hill, SC · public	$25,952	$27,682	$31,606	$27,000	104%
111	Visible Music CollegeMemphis, TN · private nonprofit	$25,929	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	104%
112	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$25,803	$26,164	$53,008	$19,500	76%
113	University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	$25,551	Not adjusted	$36,824	$27,000	106%
114	Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · public	$25,532	$23,859	$35,760	$26,000	102%
115	FIUMiami, FL · public	$25,484	$24,643	$40,864	$14,882	58%
116	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$25,391	$22,933	$32,255	$16,500	65%
117	Chico StateChico, CA · public	$25,339	$22,886	$39,537	$24,125	95%
118	Five Towns CollegeDix Hills, NY · private for-profit	$25,315	Not adjusted	$32,225	$27,750	110%
119	Georgia StateAtlanta, GA · public	$25,108	$26,075	$47,699	$26,000	104%
120	Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA · private nonprofit	$25,027	$23,387	$29,144	$26,000	104%
121	Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL · private for-profit	$25,005	Not adjusted	$40,303	$30,999	124%
122	Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT · public	$24,952	$25,239	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
123	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$24,911	$25,890	$43,725	$27,975	112%
124	Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · public	$24,775	$25,749	$35,347	$27,000	109%
125	St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	$24,732	Not adjusted	$51,102	$23,750	96%
126	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$24,630	$22,245	$40,840	$17,500	71%
127	Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ · private nonprofit	$24,563	$22,575	$44,550	$26,411	108%
128	University of HartfordWest Hartford, CT · private nonprofit	$24,511	Not adjusted	$30,834	$27,000	110%
129	University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL · public	$24,405	$23,599	Not reported	$20,188	83%
130	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$24,398	$22,607	$34,761	$25,000	102%
131	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$24,340	$26,236	Not reported	$28,000	115%
132	Carthage CollegeKenosha, WI · private nonprofit	$24,273	Not adjusted	$45,258	$27,000	111%
133	Coe CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · private nonprofit	$24,233	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
134	Los Angeles College of MusicPasadena, CA · private for-profit	$24,059	$21,730	Not reported	$37,296	155%
135	Belmont UniversityNashville, TN · private nonprofit	$24,016	$26,141	$30,355	$25,988	108%
136	UMBCBaltimore, MD · public	$23,991	Not adjusted	$35,622	$29,000	121%
137	Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	$23,969	$21,648	$26,392	$20,469	85%
138	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$23,934	Not adjusted	$41,316	$26,957	113%
139	SUNY College at PotsdamPotsdam, NY · public	$23,902	$22,148	$45,065	$27,000	113%
140	Tennessee StateNashville, TN · public	$23,868	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
141	Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$23,856	Not adjusted	$46,478	$24,625	103%
142	Catawba CollegeSalisbury, NC · private nonprofit	$23,577	$24,995	$36,393	$27,000	115%
143	Northwestern State University of LouisianaNatchitoches, LA · public	$23,529	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,885	97%
144	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$23,304	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	112%
145	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$23,262	Not adjusted	$46,789	$24,250	104%
146	SMUDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$23,159	$23,861	$35,194	$18,417	80%
147	Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ · public	$23,127	$21,255	$40,909	$23,541	102%
148	Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$23,119	$21,422	$47,526	$27,000	117%
149	Utah StateLogan, UT · public	$22,983	$23,247	$37,305	$13,500	59%
150	Texas A&M-Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TX · public	$22,833	$23,525	$50,428	$26,544	116%
151	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$22,625	$22,885	$44,848	$10,460	46%
152	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$22,559	$21,814	$40,213	Not reported	Not reported
153	UMKCKansas City, MO · public	$22,315	$24,571	$34,674	$23,089	103%
154	University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	$22,272	Not adjusted	$32,036	$19,397	87%
155	University of New HavenWest Haven, CT · private nonprofit	$22,171	Not adjusted	$39,704	$27,000	122%
156	UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	$22,125	$19,983	$50,858	$23,119	104%
157	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$21,978	Not adjusted	$61,223	$26,568	121%
158	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$21,957	$21,232	$51,751	$20,567	94%
159	Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, IL · private nonprofit	$21,759	$21,768	$38,722	$28,125	129%
160	Western Connecticut StateDanbury, CT · public	$21,659	$20,904	Not reported	$26,025	120%
161	Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ · private nonprofit	$21,623	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	125%
162	UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · public	$21,592	$19,501	$44,134	$18,938	88%
163	SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY · public	$21,524	$19,944	$32,164	$27,000	125%
164	Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	$21,509	$19,426	Not reported	$12,500	58%
165	Albright CollegeReading, PA · private nonprofit	$21,285	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	127%
166	Jacksonville UniversityJacksonville, FL · private nonprofit	$21,219	$20,518	Not reported	$25,000	118%
167	Millikin UniversityDecatur, IL · private nonprofit	$21,138	$21,147	$38,433	$26,996	128%
168	Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	$20,887	$18,865	$48,450	$18,000	86%
169	University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE · public	$20,881	$23,175	$29,586	Not reported	Not reported
170	Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, TX · public	$20,788	$21,418	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
171	Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · private nonprofit	$20,745	$20,060	$36,821	$27,000	130%
172	Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ · private nonprofit	$20,727	Not adjusted	$40,624	$27,000	130%
173	California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, CA · private nonprofit	$20,650	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,980	126%
174	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$20,632	Not adjusted	$37,873	$27,000	131%
175	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$20,440	$18,461	$34,258	$15,131	74%
176	UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	$20,408	$18,432	Not reported	$26,651	131%
177	University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY · public	$20,125	Not adjusted	$44,130	$20,745	103%
178	Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	$19,978	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,417	132%
179	Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$19,943	$19,951	$32,406	$27,000	135%
180	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$19,797	Not adjusted	$37,991	$30,971	156%
181	Towson UniversityTowson, MD · public	$19,618	$18,691	$41,706	$19,102	97%
182	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$19,507	$19,992	$32,258	$24,000	123%
183	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$19,429	Not adjusted	$41,660	$23,992	123%
184	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$19,353	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	140%
185	Lipscomb UniversityNashville, TN · private nonprofit	$19,352	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
186	University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK · public	$19,162	$21,814	$32,285	$23,125	121%
187	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$19,155	Not adjusted	$40,267	$23,334	122%
188	City College of New YorkNew York, NY · public	$19,145	$17,740	$40,856	$20,000	104%
189	Oral Roberts UniversityTulsa, OK · private nonprofit	$19,126	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
190	California Institute of the ArtsValencia, CA · private nonprofit	$18,896	$17,066	$32,376	$23,125	122%
191	Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City, OK · private nonprofit	$18,784	Not adjusted	$33,478	$26,456	141%
192	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$18,574	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
193	New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ · public	$18,544	$17,043	$33,547	$22,500	121%
194	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$18,462	Not adjusted	$24,816	$26,923	146%
195	SUNY CortlandCortland, NY · public	$18,380	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
196	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$18,352	$16,575	Not reported	$20,550	112%
197	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$18,226	$16,461	$35,153	$15,933	87%
198	Berklee College of MusicBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$18,177	Not adjusted	$33,368	$24,979	137%
199	SUNY Purchase CollegePurchase, NY · public	$17,887	$16,574	$31,045	$22,179	124%
200	Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	$17,725	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	152%
201	Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	$17,711	$16,550	$39,968	$26,815	151%
202	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$17,638	$17,064	$20,098	$27,846	158%
203	SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY · public	$17,406	$16,128	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
204	University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · public	$17,293	$17,177	$39,164	$14,800	86%
205	Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH · private nonprofit	$17,141	Not adjusted	$32,993	$26,200	153%
206	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$17,040	Not adjusted	$36,411	$23,000	135%
207	Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · private nonprofit	$16,479	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,250	141%
208	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$15,911	Not adjusted	$42,250	$20,769	131%
209	Stetson UniversityDeLand, FL · private nonprofit	$15,905	$15,380	$28,018	$26,548	167%
210	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-MetroSan Juan, PR · private nonprofit	$15,884	Not adjusted	Not reported	$11,875	75%
211	Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · public	$15,834	$14,796	$39,419	$20,055	127%
212	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$15,721	$15,615	$27,211	$21,504	137%
213	UNC GreensboroGreensboro, NC · public	$15,670	$16,613	$44,545	$26,000	166%
214	Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY · private nonprofit	$15,592	Not adjusted	$55,031	$26,500	170%
215	University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit	$15,492	Not adjusted	$40,816	$13,998	90%
216	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$15,289	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,344	146%
217	Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit	$14,538	$13,130	$44,976	$27,000	186%
218	University of RochesterRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$14,310	$13,260	$34,412	$26,769	187%
219	UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · public	$14,166	$12,794	Not reported	$12,800	90%
220	UL LafayetteLafayette, LA · public	$13,479	$15,281	Not reported	$25,115	186%
221	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$13,128	$13,134	$32,182	$24,625	188%
222	USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$12,947	$11,693	$24,763	$20,976	162%
223	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$12,875	Not adjusted	$32,173	$23,946	186%
224	The New SchoolNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$12,109	$11,220	$23,875	$24,000	198%
225	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$10,210	$10,520	$38,033	$27,000	264%
226	Puerto Rico Conservatory of MusicSan Juan, PR · public	$5,005	Not adjusted	$33,392	$12,250	245%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 147 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 79, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

23 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. 3 more programs report pay but aren't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name their schools. The national medians above still count them.

Music (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's music bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Texas	21	$47,010	$26,000
2	Virginia	5	$34,611	$26,000
3	Michigan	7	$32,911	$26,875
4	Kentucky	7	$31,088	$24,317
5	Illinois	13	$28,137	$26,648
6	Pennsylvania	11	$27,556	$27,000
7	Tennessee	10	$27,470	$23,227
8	Colorado	5	$26,944	$25,596
9	Washington	6	$25,280	$26,000
10	Ohio	10	$25,212	$27,000
11	North Carolina	6	$24,856	$26,000
12	New Jersey	9	$24,563	$26,500
13	Florida	10	$21,588	$23,992
14	California	24	$21,551	$22,000
15	New York	15	$19,145	$26,750

Programs in 28 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Cal State LA, CA$12,500
UC Berkeley, CA$12,800
University of Miami, FL$13,998
UTEP, TX$14,612
FIU, FL$14,882
San Francisco State, CA$15,000
San Diego State, CA$15,131
CSUN, CA$15,933
Sacramento State, CA$16,500
Tennessee Technological University, TN$17,500

Lowest debt for the pay

UTEP, TX26%
UTRGV, TX37%
Tennessee Technological University, TN39%
Sam Houston State, TX47%
San Francisco State, CA47%
West Texas A&M University, TX49%
University of Houston, TX49%
Texas State, TX51%
East Texas A&M University, TX52%
Northwestern University, IL52%

Only the 145 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to music, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$72,040

Median pay in the US. 1,065,210 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,780Top 10%: $107,600

Sound Engineering Technicians

$73,130

Median pay in the US. 13,080 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.

Bottom 10%: $37,570Top 10%: $137,370

Music Directors and Composers

$73,710

Median pay in the US. 12,540 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $39,880Top 10%: $165,760

Common questions

The median music bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $25,532 in their first year and $40,860 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024