by our College Data Analytics Team
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the early-career earnings of their music graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send music graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in music, no school beat Northwest University this year. Northwest University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Kirkland. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $31,179.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Puget Sound earned it the #2 place for music. Located in the city of Tacoma, University Of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career music graduates from University Of Puget Sound make a median of around $36,824 per year.
Central Washington University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in music, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of Ellensburg, Central Washington University is a public institution. Music graduates of Central Washington University earn a median of about $35,760 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in music will find them at Whitworth University, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Spokane, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $29,144.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Located in the suburb of Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Music graduates of Pacific Lutheran University earn a median of about $39,968 a year early in their careers.
Western Washington University earned the #6 position for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Bellingham, Western Washington University is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Western Washington University typically earn about $39,419 annually.
Shoreline Community College landed the #7 spot for music salaries this year. Shoreline Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Shoreline. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $18,778.
Cornish College Of The Arts placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for music. Cornish College Of The Arts is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle. After graduating, music degree recipients from Cornish College Of The Arts typically earn about $25,141 annually.
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 · 8 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.