Music major
Music: courses, careers, and where to study
Music combines performance, theory, and history with applied study on a primary instrument or voice, suiting students who want formal training in composing, performing, or teaching music.
A Music major covers music theory, ear training and sight-singing, music history, and applied lessons on a primary instrument or voice, alongside ensemble participation and conducting. Programs commonly let students follow a track such as performance, composition, music education, jazz studies, or music technology, and many require a junior or senior recital or a composition portfolio. Bachelor of Music (BM) degrees concentrate heavily on the applied area, while Bachelor of Arts (BA) tracks leave more room for a second field; music education tracks add coursework and student teaching toward state licensure.
Graduates work as performers, composers and arrangers, private instructors, ensemble or church music directors, K-12 music teachers (with certification), and in music production, publishing, and arts administration. Many roles in performance, composition, conducting, and college teaching typically require a graduate degree such as a master's or doctorate, and freelance and contract work is common in the field.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median annual wage of $63,670 for music directors and composers, with projected employment about flat (-0.3%) from 2024 to 2034.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Music maps to CIP 50.0901, Music, General, within the VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS family. The official definition:
A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Music is awarded as
Of the 25,744 Music credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate3%777
- Associate8%1,944
- Bachelor's59%15,093
- Graduate31%7,930
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 46 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 5 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Music theory, harmony, and analysis
- Ear training, sight-singing, and aural skills
- Music history and literature across periods and styles
- Applied lessons on a primary instrument or voice
- Ensemble performance and conducting
- Composition, arranging, and orchestration
- Music technology, notation software, and recording basics
- A junior or senior recital or composition portfolio
Typical careers
- Music directors and composers
- Performer / Instrumentalist or Vocalist
- Private Music Instructor
- K-12 Music Teacher (with certification)
- Arranger / Orchestrator
- Music Producer / Audio Engineer
Typical salary range: BLS, 2024 music directors and composers median $63,670Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Music, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,580 | 66,200 | -1.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Musicians and Singers | Not reported | 19,400 | +1.1% | No formal educational credential |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 1 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Music does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Music major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Music program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Music department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Music program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Music credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Berklee College of MusicMA · 897
- Los Angeles Film SchoolCA · 622
- Indiana University-BloomingtonIN · 441
- Manhattan School of MusicNY · 354
- University of North TexasTX · 330
- Full Sail UniversityFL · 310
- The Juilliard SchoolNY · 282
- New York UniversityNY · 272
- University of RochesterNY · 263
- The New England Conservatory of MusicMA · 260
- The New SchoolNY · 240
- Johns Hopkins UniversityMD · 238
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Music credentials were awarded
23 states have a distinct enough set of Music colleges to be worth its own page.
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Graphic Design
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Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Music degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Arts, Design & Media careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Music degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Music path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.