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Auburn University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid music graduates in Alabama. Auburn University is a public school located in the city of Auburn. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,177.
by our College Data Analytics Team
[Music](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. 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 4 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.
Auburn University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid music graduates in Alabama. Auburn University is a public school located in the city of Auburn. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,177.
Jacksonville State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Jacksonville State University is a public school located in the suburb of Jacksonville. Early-career music graduates from Jacksonville State University make a median of around $48,790 per year.
University Of North Alabama came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. University Of North Alabama is a public school located in the city of Florence. After graduating, music degree recipients from University Of North Alabama typically earn about $39,095 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of South Alabama earned it the #4 place for music. Located in the city of Mobile, University Of South Alabama is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from University Of South Alabama make a median of around $37,262 per year.
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 · 4 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.