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.
College Factual analyzed 24 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying music schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send music graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is West Chester University Of Pennsylvania, our #1 for music graduate salaries in the Middle Atlantic Region. Set 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 $66,675.
Students chasing top earnings in music will find them at Messiah College, which ranked #2. Messiah College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. Music graduates of Messiah College earn a median of about $66,109 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Ithaca College one of the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the suburb of Ithaca, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $54,879.
A rank of #4 makes Montclair State University one of the highest-paying schools for music. Set in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a public institution. Music graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of about $54,350 a year early in their careers.
Suny At Fredonia produces some of the highest-paid graduates in music, landing the #5 spot this year. Suny At Fredonia is a public school located in the town of Fredonia. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,731.
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus came in at #6 for music graduate earnings this year. Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Indiana. Early-career music graduates from Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus make a median of around $50,808 per year.
University Of Maryland College Park placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a public institution. Music graduates of University Of Maryland College Park earn a median of about $50,653 a year early in their careers.
Duquesne University landed the #8 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,712.
Rider University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider University is a private not-for-profit institution. Music graduates of Rider University earn a median of about $56,566 a year early in their careers.
University Of Delaware ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. University Of Delaware is a public school located in the suburb of Newark. After graduating, music degree recipients from University Of Delaware typically earn about $38,417 annually.
Rutgers University New Brunswick came in at #11 for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from Rutgers University New Brunswick make a median of around $36,928 per year.
Johns Hopkins University landed the #12 spot for music salaries this year. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Music graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of about $36,044 a year early in their careers.
New York University came in at #13 for music graduate earnings this year. New York University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. After graduating, music degree recipients from New York University typically earn about $32,175 annually.
University Of Rochester placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,559.
Bard College earned the #15 position for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the rural area of Annandale-On-Hudson, Bard College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Bard College typically earn about $30,660 annually.
Cuny Queens College ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Set in the city of Queens, Cuny Queens College is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from Cuny Queens College make a median of around $33,982 per year.
Suny At Purchase College landed the #17 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Purchase, Suny At Purchase College is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $34,862.
Temple University came in at #18 for music graduate earnings this year. Temple University is a public school located in the city of Philadelphia. Music graduates of Temple University earn a median of about $38,818 a year early in their careers.
Stony Brook University landed the #19 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Stony Brook University typically earn about $46,857 annually.
Carnegie Mellon University earned the #20 position for music graduate earnings this year. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $33,734.
The New School came in at #21 for music graduate earnings this year. The New School is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Music graduates of The New School earn a median of about $35,564 a year early in their careers.
Manhattan School Of Music landed the #22 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the city of New York, Manhattan School Of Music is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Manhattan School Of Music typically earn about $35,220 annually.
The Juilliard School came in at #23 for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of New York, The Juilliard School is a private not-for-profit institution. Music graduates of The Juilliard School earn a median of about $31,002 a year early in their careers.
Cuny Brooklyn College placed #24 among the highest-paying schools for music. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Cuny Brooklyn College is a public institution. Music graduates of Cuny Brooklyn College earn a median of about $16,996 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published 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 · 24 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.