ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Music worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 13 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$214,533 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−170%Estimated return after 10 years
$36,153Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$178,470
$8,000Annual price−$194,470
$16,000Annual price−$210,470
$18,000Current college-wide context−$214,470
$24,000Annual price−$226,470
$32,000Annual price−$242,470
$40,000Annual price−$258,470
Outcomes at a glance
$36,153Typical earnings four years after completion
$28,719Average earnings five years after completion
$19,687Typical federal student debt
13thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
10College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Music
How much do Music associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $36,153 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $19,687. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Music?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $32,573 to $37,546 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Music?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $35,327
- Federal debt
- $9,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 10
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $36,153
- Federal debt
- $19,687
- Programs in the comparison
- 13
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $43,385
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 314
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $35,623
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $47,357
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 98
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,796
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 30
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$32,573National median$36,15375th percentile$37,546
10 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Dallas College
$48,378 four years after completionDallas, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtValencia College
$10,575 among completer borrowersOrlando, FL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classLos Angeles Film School
389 reported awards in 2024–25Hollywood, CA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$38,507Observed year-4 earnings$31,215
Dallas College$3,214 price · $48,378 earningsValencia College$12,037 price · $38,507 earningsFinger Lakes Community College$13,898 price · $38,356 earningsMiami Dade College$5,463 price · $37,546 earningsMusicians Institute$46,518 price · $37,319 earningsFull Sail University$38,875 price · $34,987 earningsLos Angeles Film School$30,980 price · $33,046 earningsSt Petersburg College$1,471 price · $32,573 earningsSUNY Broome Community College$8,940 price · $31,215 earnings
$1,471Annual college-wide average net price$38,875
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
12 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 12 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Dallas College$48,3782Valencia College$38,5073Finger Lakes Community College$38,3564Miami Dade College$37,5465Musicians Institute$37,3196Full Sail University$34,9877Los Angeles Film School$33,0468St Petersburg College$32,5739SUNY Broome Community College$31,21510Onondaga Community CollegeNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 median wage93,560 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 8,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$47,570–$163,350 typical wage rangeMusicians and Singers36,180 jobs nationwide+0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 17,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credentialMusic Directors and Composers$73,710 median wage12,540 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 4,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,880–$165,760 typical wage rangeSound Engineering Technicians$73,130 median wage13,080 jobs nationwide-3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$37,570–$137,370 typical wage rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage rangeDisc Jockeys, Except Radio7,920 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 1,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.