by our College Data Analytics Team
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where music graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
The right music school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we built our Highest Paid Music Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its music graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Music Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
If you want to know which schools send music graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Finger Lakes Community College, our #1 for music graduate salaries in the United States. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public institution. Music graduates of Finger Lakes Community College earn a median of about $38,805 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Vanderbilt University earned it the #2 place for music. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Music graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of about $79,962 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Rhode Island one of the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from University Of Rhode Island make a median of around $60,062 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Texas A And M University Kingsville one of the highest-paying schools for music. Texas A And M University Kingsville is a public school located in the town of Kingsville. Music graduates of Texas A And M University Kingsville earn a median of about $60,646 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #5 makes The University Of Texas Pan American one of the highest-paying schools for music. Set in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from The University Of Texas Pan American typically earn about $59,947 annually.
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The University Of Texas At El Paso ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Set in the city of El Paso, The University Of Texas At El Paso is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from The University Of Texas At El Paso make a median of around $56,062 per year.
University Of Houston came in at #7 for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from University Of Houston make a median of around $58,649 per year.
Sam Houston State University earned the #8 position for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Huntsville, Sam Houston State University is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $47,434.
Cuny Bernard M Baruch College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Bernard M Baruch College is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from Cuny Bernard M Baruch College make a median of around $53,767 per year.
Dallas Baptist University landed the #10 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the city of Dallas, Dallas Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Dallas Baptist University typically earn about $52,407 annually.
North Dakota State University Main Campus placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,625.
Stephen F Austin State University earned the #12 position for music graduate earnings this year. Stephen F Austin State University is a public school located in the town of Nacogdoches. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,180.
Auburn University landed the #13 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a public institution. Music graduates of Auburn University earn a median of about $51,177 a year early in their careers.
Texas State University San Marcos landed the #14 spot for music salaries this year. Texas State University San Marcos is a public school located in the city of San Marcos. After graduating, music degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos typically earn about $51,050 annually.
West Texas A And M University placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for music. West Texas A And M University is a public school located in the town of Canyon. Early-career music graduates from West Texas A And M University make a median of around $51,184 per year.
Texas A And M University Commerce landed the #16 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the town of Commerce, Texas A And M University Commerce is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Texas A And M University Commerce typically earn about $48,875 annually.
Texas Tech University placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,813.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio placed #18 among the highest-paying schools for music. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a public school located in the city of San Antonio. After graduating, music degree recipients from The University Of Texas At San Antonio typically earn about $55,874 annually.
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Located in the suburb of Norman, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,244.
West Chester University Of Pennsylvania landed the #20 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the suburb of West Chester, West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,684.
University Of Nebraska At Kearney ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Located in the town of Kearney, University Of Nebraska At Kearney is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,195.
University Of Nevada Las Vegas placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for music. University Of Nevada Las Vegas is a public school located in the city of Las Vegas. Early-career music graduates from University Of Nevada Las Vegas make a median of around $49,099 per year.
University Of Maryland College Park landed the #23 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park typically earn about $47,666 annually.
Lamar University came in at #24 for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a public institution. Music graduates of Lamar University earn a median of about $53,712 a year early in their careers.
Ball State University came in at #25 for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,744.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning music graduates:
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A few more high-earning music schools worth a look:
| Rank | College | Location | Avg Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | Montana State University | Bozeman, MT | $46,471 | Full Report |
| #52 | Coastal Carolina University | Conway, SC | $41,810 | Full Report |
| #53 | Suny College At Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | $41,427 | Full Report |
| #54 | University Of Wisconsin Platteville | Platteville, WI | $41,386 | Full Report |
| #55 | University Of Oregon | Eugene, OR | $41,338 | Full Report |
| #56 | Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $40,916 | Full Report |
| #57 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Hammond, LA | $39,983 | Full Report |
| #58 | Radford University | Radford, VA | $41,921 | Full Report |
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries music graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
