BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Music worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 314 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$274,456 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−106%Estimated return after 10 years
$43,385Observed 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−$196,150
$8,000Annual price−$228,150
$16,000Annual price−$260,150
$20,000Current college-wide context−$276,150
$24,000Annual price−$292,150
$32,000Annual price−$324,150
$40,000Annual price−$356,150
Outcomes at a glance
$43,385Typical earnings four years after completion
$41,006Average earnings five years after completion
$26,000Typical federal student debt
8thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
462Degrees awarded in 2024–25
275College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 81 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Music
How much do Music bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $43,385 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $26,000. 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 $39,223 to $49,145 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$39,223National median$43,38575th percentile$49,145
275 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
Sonoma State University
$65,533 four years after completionRohnert Park, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtThe University of Texas at El Paso
$14,612 among completer borrowersEl Paso, TX · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classRutgers University-New Brunswick
61 reported awards in 2024–25New Brunswick, NJ · 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.
$61,943Observed year-4 earnings$55,705
Sonoma State University$12,885 price · $65,533 earningsChristopher Newport University$23,015 price · $63,852 earningsStevens Institute of Technology$41,346 price · $61,943 earningsUniversity of Florida$6,541 price · $61,446 earningsNortheastern University$30,915 price · $60,974 earningsThe University of Texas at El Paso$9,403 price · $60,172 earningsUniversity of Redlands$30,031 price · $59,275 earningsThe University of Texas Rio Grande Valley$4,831 price · $59,218 earningsVanderbilt University$15,846 price · $59,217 earningsThe University of Texas at Arlington$13,951 price · $59,198 earningsSam Houston State University$16,404 price · $58,743 earningsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$11,655 price · $58,127 earningsUniversity of California, San Diego$12,470 price · $58,071 earningsTexas A&M University-Kingsville$12,090 price · $57,117 earningsTexas Tech University$19,070 price · $57,043 earningsTexas Woman's University$11,963 price · $56,884 earningsHofstra University$34,176 price · $56,847 earningsTarleton State University$20,783 price · $56,671 earningsUniversity of Houston$14,276 price · $56,667 earningsUniversity of Connecticut$25,097 price · $56,104 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus$10,875 price · $56,104 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Avery Point$13,807 price · $56,104 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Stamford$16,798 price · $56,104 earningsUniversity of Connecticut-Hartford Campus$16,403 price · $56,104 earningsRutgers University-Camden$18,745 price · $56,008 earningsRutgers University-New Brunswick$24,406 price · $56,008 earningsRutgers University-Newark$19,703 price · $56,008 earningsUniversity of North Texas$15,649 price · $55,705 earningsMonmouth University$30,988 price · $55,526 earnings
$6,541Annual college-wide average net price$30,988
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Sonoma State University$65,5332Christopher Newport University$63,8523Stevens Institute of Technology$61,9434University of Florida$61,4465Northeastern University$60,9746Northeastern University Professional Programs$60,9747The University of Texas at El Paso$60,1728University of Redlands$59,2759The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley$59,21810Vanderbilt University$59,217Observed 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.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
CA25 programs$43,943 average earningsTX20 programs$53,983 average earningsOH17 programs$43,268 average earningsNY14 programs$41,069 average earningsIL14 programs$43,375 average earningsTN12 programs$43,912 average earningsNJ11 programs$49,438 average earningsPA10 programs$43,996 average earningsFL10 programs$42,609 average earningsVA9 programs$46,904 average earningsNC8 programs$42,856 average earningsCT8 programs$50,896 average earnings
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.