How much debt do USC music graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,976, which ranks 13th lowest of 23 music bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $222 a month over 10 years.

Is a music degree from USC worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 162% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 92%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

USC Music (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do USC music graduates stay in California?

Most do. 70% (31 of 44) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Music
Private nonprofit university
Los Angeles, CA
About 71 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

USC music graduates earn less than graduates of most music programs nationally, $12,947 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,976 in federal loans, less than at 79% of music programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the California median of $21,551.

First-year earnings$12,9472nd percentile of 229 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$24,76391% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,97613th lowest of 23 California programs

Debt-to-earnings162%California median 90%, national 92%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all music bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	USC	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$12,947	$21,551	$25,532
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$24,763	$37,022	$40,860
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,976	$22,000	$26,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	162%	90%	92%
Programs compared		24	229

Five years out, USC graduates earn less than the national figure and about $12,259 less than the California median. Several California programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every California music program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

USCOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 91% between the first and fifth year.

USC grads, year 1$12,947

USC grads, year 5$24,763

All California music grads, year 5$37,022

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $222 a month, or 20.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (72 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20–39%
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 27 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $50,000.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

70% of graduates (31 of 44) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $12,947 salary here buys what about $11,400 buys in a typical US city.

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 all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$101,370

Median pay in California. 99,230 people work in this job in California. 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%: $64,600Top 10%: $132,600

Sound Engineering Technicians

$78,150

Median pay in California. 4,060 people work in this job in California. 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%: $45,720Top 10%: $143,130

Music Directors and Composers

$93,090

Median pay in California. 2,510 people work in this job in California. 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%: $48,600Top 10%: $175,670

About USC

Tuition and fees	$72,097 / year
Average net price after aid	$32,740 / year
Admission rate	10%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	92%
Undergraduate students	20,443

Music ranks 43rd of 43 bachelor's programs at USC by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($137,284), Software and Media Applications ($103,071), and Real Estate ($98,763).

Other music bachelor's programs near Los Angeles

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit		$12,947	$20,976
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	7 mi	$21,509	$12,500
UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	10 mi	$22,125	$23,119
Los Angeles College of MusicPasadena, CA · private for-profit	11 mi	$24,059	$37,296
Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	17 mi	$19,978	$26,417
Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	19 mi	$18,352	$20,550
CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	21 mi	$18,226	$15,933
Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	25 mi	$23,969	$20,469
Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	27 mi	$20,887	$18,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $12,947 one year after graduating and $24,763 five years after. The median across music bachelor's programs in California is $21,551.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the music program.

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
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Music bachelor's programs in California, ranked24 programs by pay and debt Music bachelor's programs in the US, ranked229 programs by pay and debt All USC programs, ranked43 programs by pay and debt