Best Music Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

84

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$241,683

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$43,028

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Sam Houston State University

Grad rate: 55.6%

 TX +$412,566 $65,080 $24,517 N/A Full ROI →
2 West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Grad rate: 70.7%

 PA +$231,982 $56,355 $27,559 N/A Full ROI →
3 Messiah University

Grad rate: 78.4%

 PA +$188,302 $56,809 $53,939 N/A Full ROI →
4 Ohio State University-Main Campus

Grad rate: 87.9%

 OH +$141,980 $52,031 $29,320 N/A Full ROI →
5 Ithaca College

Grad rate: 74.2%

 NY +$76,656 $52,449 $66,162 N/A Full ROI →
6 Texas Tech University

Grad rate: 67.1%

 TX +$74,676 $48,481 $27,472 N/A Full ROI →
7 George Mason University

Grad rate: 69.9%

 VA +$63,876 $47,891 $26,972 N/A Full ROI →
8 SUNY at Fredonia

Grad rate: 56.6%

 NY +$18,098 $45,438 $25,331 N/A Full ROI →
9 University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Grad rate: 57.9%

 NC +$15,984 $44,762 $19,628 N/A Full ROI →
10 Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Grad rate: 66.8%

 CO -$34,652 $43,237 $29,696 N/A Full ROI →
11 University of Northern Colorado

Grad rate: 51.6%

 CO -$35,298 $42,934 $26,989 N/A Full ROI →
12 California State University-Northridge

Grad rate: 56.1%

 CA -$47,314 $41,666 $20,317 N/A Full ROI →
13 University of Miami

Grad rate: 84.2%

 FL -$61,756 $46,683 $77,708 N/A Full ROI →
14 University of Houston

Grad rate: 64.0%

 TX -$64,012 $41,305 $25,056 N/A Full ROI →
15 University of Missouri-Kansas City

Grad rate: 56.0%

 MO -$69,590 $40,985 $24,645 N/A Full ROI →
16 Rider University

Grad rate: 64.8%

 NJ -$69,604 $43,918 $53,982 N/A Full ROI →
17 Western Michigan University

Grad rate: 56.5%

 MI -$89,970 $40,367 $28,655 N/A Full ROI →
18 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Grad rate: 65.4%

 NE -$91,942 $39,937 $25,341 N/A Full ROI →
19 University of Missouri-Columbia

Grad rate: 75.7%

 MO -$101,916 $39,799 $28,948 N/A Full ROI →
20 Texas State University

Grad rate: 56.0%

 TX -$108,216 $39,224 $26,348 N/A Full ROI →
21 Kent State University at Kent

Grad rate: 65.1%

 OH -$112,670 $39,301 $29,345 N/A Full ROI →
22 University of Hartford

Grad rate: 57.6%

 CT -$113,846 $42,535 $62,273 N/A Full ROI →
23 Southern Methodist University

Grad rate: 82.8%

 TX -$131,624 $43,672 $82,532 N/A Full ROI →
24 Missouri State University-Springfield

Grad rate: 57.8%

 MO -$132,024 $37,801 $24,022 N/A Full ROI →
25 Duquesne University

Grad rate: 76.6%

 PA -$139,564 $41,326 $63,042 N/A Full ROI →
26 University of South Florida

Grad rate: 74.4%

 FL -$141,182 $37,171 $22,301 N/A Full ROI →
27 Brigham Young University

Grad rate: 80.4%

 UT -$161,878 $35,994 $20,879 N/A Full ROI →
28 University of Oregon

Grad rate: 72.5%

 OR -$166,772 $36,925 $32,636 N/A Full ROI →
29 Michigan State University

Grad rate: 81.9%

 MI -$174,156 $36,345 $30,528 N/A Full ROI →
30 Wichita State University

Grad rate: 51.5%

 KS -$181,828 $35,015 $21,064 N/A Full ROI →
31 University of Colorado Boulder

Grad rate: 74.9%

 CO -$187,992 $35,947 $33,466 N/A Full ROI →
32 University of North Texas

Grad rate: 59.2%

 TX -$191,920 $34,951 $25,470 N/A Full ROI →
33 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus

Grad rate: 75.7%

 OK -$198,286 $34,969 $28,833 N/A Full ROI →
34 University of Georgia

Grad rate: 87.6%

 GA -$205,492 $34,469 $27,436 N/A Full ROI →
35 Academy of Art University

Grad rate: 42.4%

 CA -$218,050 $35,817 $47,195 N/A Full ROI →
36 The University of Texas at Austin

Grad rate: 87.7%

 TX -$230,364 $33,466 $29,842 N/A Full ROI →
37 Belmont University

Grad rate: 72.1%

 TN -$237,560 $36,170 $60,480 N/A Full ROI →
38 Yale University

Grad rate: 97.0%

 CT -$245,560 $38,234 $85,120 N/A Full ROI →
39 University of Maryland-College Park

Grad rate: 88.9%

 MD -$253,346 $32,140 $28,073 N/A Full ROI →
40 University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Grad rate: 80.6%

 NC -$254,146 $31,848 $25,553 N/A Full ROI →
41 Illinois State University

Grad rate: 66.7%

 IL -$264,476 $32,022 $32,458 N/A Full ROI →
42 University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Grad rate: 52.1%

 NM -$265,846 $30,805 $20,973 N/A Full ROI →
43 Temple University

Grad rate: 76.3%

 PA -$266,638 $32,648 $39,799 N/A Full ROI →
44 University of Florida

Grad rate: 90.7%

 FL -$269,478 $30,698 $21,719 N/A Full ROI →
45 New York University

Grad rate: 87.8%

 NY -$270,302 $36,397 $79,121 N/A Full ROI →
46 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Grad rate: 62.1%

 OH -$273,236 $31,262 $29,238 N/A Full ROI →
47 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Grad rate: 71.8%

 OH -$298,206 $29,968 $28,783 N/A Full ROI →
48 University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Grad rate: 83.1%

 MA -$305,038 $30,087 $33,389 N/A Full ROI →
49 Georgia State University

Grad rate: 54.3%

 GA -$307,550 $29,276 $26,535 N/A Full ROI →
50 University of Rochester

Grad rate: 87.0%

 NY -$311,440 $34,688 $82,600 N/A Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Music Degrees by State

Browse Music programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.

Arizona Best Music → California Best Music → Colorado Best Music → Connecticut Best Music → Florida Best Music → Georgia Best Music → Illinois Best Music → Indiana Best Music → Iowa Best Music → Kansas Best Music → Kentucky Best Music → Maryland Best Music → Massachusetts Best Music → Michigan Best Music → Missouri Best Music → Nebraska Best Music → Nevada Best Music → New Jersey Best Music → New Mexico Best Music → New York Best Music → North Carolina Best Music → Ohio Best Music → Oklahoma Best Music → Oregon Best Music → Pennsylvania Best Music → South Carolina Best Music → Tennessee Best Music → Texas Best Music → Utah Best Music → Virginia Best Music → Wisconsin Best Music →