### SUMMARY

 Choosing to study Music is a valuable choice and ordinarily a requisite first step for undergrads endeavoring to pursue a career as a folk musician, a rap musician, or a metal musician. Interestingly, music is a fairly common choice ranking as the 33rd most popular area of study. Last year, there were 15,747 music diplomas received. In-state tuition for music at private colleges is, on average, 4.1 times more pricey than their public counterparts.

 With a staggering 1086 universities having programs for this degree odds are that any schools you are interested in will have an option for you. If you're looking to surround yourself with other music undergraduates, consider colleges in California which have the most undergrads admitted to music annually. Zooming out, the best region to get a degree in music is in the Southeast region with [Florida State University](/colleges/florida-state-university), [Full Sail University](/colleges/full-sail-university), and [Belmont University](/colleges/belmont-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection for the best conference to study music is the Big Ten Conference with [Northwestern University](/colleges/northwestern-university), [Indiana University-Bloomington](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington), and [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor) representing the conference. On that topic, our belief is that the best college for music is [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). You might also want to check out our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The objectively 'best' school does not mean it is the 'best' school for every student. There might be lots of perspectives to consider when deciding on institution. Things such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food would change your inclinations on where to go to college. Here at authority.org, we've weighed the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are intrigued by which music university boasts the top campus, the winner is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). If, for example, you are primarily interested in which school boasts the top campus, we have an entire page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, student reviews, government databases, and more to evaluate every U.S. major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can find our well researched list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand, from that list, our selection of the school with the best student life for music is [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university). Are you curious why? Keep scrolling to find out more about Authority's top selections. Some of our picks will probably surprise you.

 If expense is a major influence in your decision on where to go to school, you might consider avoiding [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspis the most expensive college for music, at least for out of state students. We have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspuniversities that might put the price tag of [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you might care to know that music is the 32nd most expensive program in America, with an average cost of $51,800. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for music nationally is District of Columbia with costs at the primary three institutions American University at $49,070, The Catholic University of America at $46,950, and tuition and fees at George Washington University of $46,950. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region for music is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Amherst College](/colleges/amherst-college) with a cost of $57,640, [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university) with a cost of $57,324, and [Brown University](/colleges/brown-university) with a cost of $57,112.

 Our cheapest region for music is the Southeast region which is represented by [Southern University and A & M College](/colleges/southern-university-and-a-m-college) with a cost of $4,972, [Western Carolina University](/colleges/western-carolina-university) with a cost of $5,000, and [College of Charleston](/colleges/college-of-charleston) with a cost of $70. In better news, the most affordable university for music is [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music). Our full list of the most affordable universities can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state learners can anticipate paying in the neighborhood of $9,900 for a degree in music. That price swells significantly to an average of $22,600 for the out-of-state public-school undergrad. As such, you might be interested in our selection for the university representing the best value for music: [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). Here you will find our comprehensive list about the colleges we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Bear in mind, this idea is based on being an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when it comes to in-state tuition, as such, we are using out-of-state tuition as the baseline.

 Earnings for music students can vary, but within two years graduation students will often make around $53,000. While there is much variation in salary; top positions can rake in up to $104,900. Right out of college, the minimum earning positions within the music field make $27,100, which isn't that bad. The highest earning graduates from music attended [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university)&nbspand if you want to find the schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The general diversity of music is pretty high, coming within the 76th percentile of all majors. The university with the most composite diversity for music is [Carnegie Mellon University](/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list of the colleges with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Music major ranks only within the 22nd percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually greater, ranking in the 62nd percentile. White collegians compose the largest share at 55% of students studying music. Additionally, 53% of undergraduates pursuing a music major are men.

 The median score of music's professors is 4.2 stars, a score which is 5% higher than the median across every major; which is a good score. If you want to find the most popular music professor in the nation, consider looking up Thomas Kabin at [University of Arkansas](/colleges/university-of-arkansas). This might be shocking, but the top ranked music instructors from student rankings are at [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge). If we including data beyond simply rankings we find that the college possessing the overall best instructors for music is [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). You can find an explanation of our evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the top professors in the U.S.

 Finally, the hardest university to get into for music is [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we do have a detailed list of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). With that said, we do hope you believe that looking at the higher education world through a lens mainly built on superlatives can cause problems. We at Authority encourage you to read our more focused pages on individual colleges and peruse some of our informative background articles on beneficial things to think about as your college search develops.



 ### POPULARITY

 Music is the 33rd most popular degree in America, with 15,747 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #34 [Chemistry](/rankings/best-colleges-for-chemistry), and narrowly lost to #32 [Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication](/rankings/best-colleges-for-public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication).

 The degree is offered at a total of 1,086 colleges across the nation, and is the 15th most widely offered degree. Given that music is offered at 89% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that 52% of colleges offering music are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most music graduates, largely led by [Florida State University](/colleges/florida-state-university), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Long Beach](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach) and [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more music graduates than [John C Calhoun State Community College](/colleges/john-c-calhoun-state-community-college), which graduated 623 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study music). More students studied music as a percentage of total students at [Musicians Institute](/colleges/musicians-institute) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Music is the 32nd most expensive degree in the United States, with a median cost of $51,788 among the top 50 programs.

 New England has the most expensive colleges with top-notch music programs led by [Amherst College](/colleges/amherst-college) with an annual cost of $57,640. The most expensive state for music is District of Columbia led by [American University](/colleges/american-university) and [The Catholic University of America](/colleges/the-catholic-university-of-america).

 Public schools with good programs typically charge 75.34% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 43.64% less than your average private school. So, if you're hoping to attend a state school, make sure you're eligible for in-state tuition sooner rather than later.

 The most high-priced option in the top 25 is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york), which is the 3rd most expensive college in America. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Florida State University](/colleges/florida-state-university). It costs just $16,540 per year, and it is its music program is ranked #40. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable option, [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles)  could be right for you, ranked #25 with an in-state cost of just $11,442. Another more affordable choice would be #4, [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music) in Suffolk County, MA with a cost of $44,360 for in-state students and $44,360 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Enrolling in college is a huge investment for most students. It's important to have confidence you get a solid return on that investment. We hope the following job placement and income information help you in deciding your focus at college.

 The average Music alumni generates a starting income of $27,647 per year (bottom 12%). After a little experience in their careers, they for the most part take home anywhere between $27,066 and $104,903, but average near $53,013. For context, that is 37% higher than the United States average.

 The most common work position for a Music graduate is CDL Driver, which commonly make close to $36,000; next are Engineer and Software Engineer, which by and large make roughly $59,000 and $65,000 respectively.

 The Plains has the best paid Music graduates. AR has the most well paid Music alumni of any state. The most well paid conference for Music graduates is American Rivers Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Music: Median Professor Rating: 4.2 / 5, which is Top 100.

 Instructors frequently play a consequential role in shaping your college experience, no matter what you major in. An effective teacher may provide inspiration and set one up for future success. Contrarily, a poor professor can bring undesirable stress or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Music have a median student rating of 4.2 out of 5, which puts these professors in 89th place in America based on student satisfaction. For context that's 5% higher than the national median professor rating for all subjects. Music professors barely out-ranked those from ["Foreign Languages and Literatures"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-foreign-languages-and-literatures), whereas ["History"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-history)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Music.

 Now for some statistics about Music professors. Colleges located in distant rural areas tend to have the best Music professors. The Independent Southeast Region has the highest rated Music professors. The Southwest region has the highest rated Music professors. Public institutions tend to have higher rated Music professors than private schools. Finally, Wyoming has the highest rated Music professors in the US.

 Thomas Kabin, instructor at [University of Arkansas](/colleges/university-of-arkansas)&nbspin Fayetteville, AR is the most popular Music professor in the nation. Denise Apodaca, instructor at [Colorado State University-Fort Collins](/colleges/colorado-state-university-fort-collins)&nbspin Fort Collins, CO is the highest rated Music professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Find out which schools have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is a fabulously meaningful investment in one's life; it's an occasion for personal progress and evolution. Undergrads attempt to learn what they hope to do with their lives and develop the required skills to be a thriving member of society. But learning is more than what one learns in a classroom environment - the campus dialogue, the life lesson learned from an eccentric instructor, the exposure to a different way of thinking. As such, finding a diverse college vastly enhances what you gain from your time at college.

 Music is a slightly more racially diverse major than average\*. 55% of America's Music majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(24%), latino students (10%), and asian students (8%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo)&nbspin San Luis Obispo, CA.

 Additionally, Music is diverse with respect to sex, with 47% of students majoring in Music identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo) in San Luis Obispo, CA.

 Another substantial type of diversity is economic diversity. Unfortunately, Music is one of the US' least economically diverse subjects (Bottom 23%). 33% of its majors come from homes that take home above $110,000 a year, 15% are from families with $48,000 to $75,000 annual incomes, and 23% grew up in homes who bring in less than $30,000 a year. [University of North Carolina School of the Arts](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-school-of-the-arts) is the most economically diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Music. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 8%
* Black: 3%
* Latino: 10%
* White: 55%
* Other: 24%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 53%
* Female: 47%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 23%
* 30k - 48k: 14%
* 48k - 75k: 15%
* 75k - 110k: 15%
* Over 110k: 33%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 59%
* Out of State: 32%
* International: 9%


2023 Music Salary

There are about 81,395 students enrolled in Music in the USA.

SALARY