Free tool · federal data

What does this major pay at different colleges?

Pick a major, a degree level and a state. You get what graduates of each college's program earned four years after graduating and what they borrowed in federal loans, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, with the national median for the same program as the yardstick.

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Music, master's programs nationwide

Nationally, master's graduates in Music earn a median $48,285 four years after graduating. Among 46 programs with federal earnings data, Central Washington University (WA) graduates had the highest median, $79,115 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

Programs with data
46
Highest median
$79,115
National median
$48,285
The link opens this exact comparison.
Music, master's programs nationwide: median earnings four years after graduating and median federal debt, in order of earnings.
CollegeStateMedian earnings, 4 yrs aftervs national medianDebt borrowed at this college (median)Add to the side-by-side comparison
Central Washington UniversityWA$79,115+64%$14,817
Messiah UniversityPA$77,342+60%$21,472Compare
Sam Houston State UniversityTX$68,888+43%—
Michigan State UniversityMI$62,193+29%$30,158
California State University-NorthridgeCA$60,697+26%$41,000
Colorado State University-Fort CollinsCO$57,772+20%$40,506Compare
University of MiamiFL$55,826+16%$59,534
Berklee College of MusicMA$55,467+15%$41,000
University of Maryland, College ParkMD$54,160+12%$33,000Compare
University of DenverCO$53,050+10%$41,000Compare
The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTN$53,019+10%$34,623
New York UniversityNY$52,777+9%$103,403Compare
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLA$51,887+7%$35,102Compare
San Francisco Conservatory of MusicCA$51,822+7%$64,250Compare
Johns Hopkins UniversityMD$51,713+7%$57,528Compare
Rice UniversityTX$50,777+5%$27,000Compare
Florida State UniversityFL$50,069+4%$27,029
Oklahoma City UniversityOK$49,533+3%$39,946
University of Missouri-Kansas CityMO$47,852about the same$32,000Compare
Arizona State University Campus ImmersionFigure covers 2 campusesAZ$46,731−3%$40,760
Georgia State UniversityFigure covers 2 campusesGA$46,454−4%$39,375Compare
The Juilliard SchoolNY$46,372−4%$41,000Compare
Bowling Green State University-Main CampusFigure covers 2 campusesOH$46,069−5%$32,465Compare
Rider UniversityNJ$45,928−5%$41,000
The New England Conservatory of MusicMA$45,532−6%$41,000Compare

The 25 highest of 46 programs. Ordered by median earnings four years after graduating: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality.

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Same major, other degree levels: Bachelor's · Associate's · Undergraduate certificate · Doctoral

The Music major guideHow much the college matters, by major

What these numbers are

Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed, and a multi-state system whose figure pools campuses in several states is left out of state lists. Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Federal program group: Music. Earnings reflect who enrolls and where graduates work as well as the program itself.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV).