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. The highest-paying schools turn a music degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find where music graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send music graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Utah tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. University Of Utah is a public school located in the city of Salt Lake City. After graduating, music degree recipients from University Of Utah typically earn about $51,815 annually.
Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a public school located in the city of Fort Collins. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,174.
Students chasing top earnings in music will find them at Montana State University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Montana State University typically earn about $46,471 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in music will find them at The University Of Montana, which ranked #4. The University Of Montana is a public school located in the city of Missoula. After graduating, music degree recipients from The University Of Montana typically earn about $39,637 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Denver earned it the #5 place for music. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution. Music graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of about $46,789 a year early in their careers.
University Of Colorado Denver landed the #6 spot for music salaries this year. University Of Colorado Denver is a public school located in the city of Denver. Music graduates of University Of Colorado Denver earn a median of about $36,502 a year early in their careers.
University Of Idaho earned the #7 position for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Moscow, University Of Idaho is a public institution. Music graduates of University Of Idaho earn a median of about $34,902 a year early in their careers.
University Of Colorado Boulder landed the #8 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder typically earn about $31,921 annually.
Brigham Young University Provo landed the #9 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the city of Provo, Brigham Young University Provo is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Brigham Young University Provo typically earn about $44,848 annually.
Utah State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Set in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a public institution. Music graduates of Utah State University earn a median of about $37,305 a year early in their careers.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver landed the #11 spot for music salaries this year. Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a public school located in the city of Denver. Early-career music graduates from Metropolitan State College Of Denver make a median of around $37,991 per year.
University Of Northern Colorado came in at #12 for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Greeley, University Of Northern Colorado is a public institution. Music graduates of University Of Northern Colorado earn a median of about $26,944 a year early in their careers.
Utah Valley University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Utah Valley University is a public school located in the city of Orem. Music graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of about $24,952 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their music graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 13 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.