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 12 schools to find where music graduates earn the most.
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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 Vanderbilt University this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Music graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of about $79,962 a year early in their careers.
Tennessee Technological University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in music, landing the #2 spot this year. Tennessee Technological University is a public school located in the town of Cookeville. Music graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of about $44,635 a year early in their careers.
Austin Peay State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in music, landing the #3 spot this year. Austin Peay State University is a public school located in the city of Clarksville. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,008.
Students chasing top earnings in music will find them at Lee University, which ranked #4. Lee University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. After graduating, music degree recipients from Lee University typically earn about $36,124 annually.
Middle Tennessee State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in music, landing the #5 spot this year. Middle Tennessee State University is a public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,653.
University Of Memphis earned the #6 position for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from University Of Memphis make a median of around $46,852 per year.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #7 for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from The University Of Tennessee make a median of around $38,564 per year.
Visible Music College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Visible Music College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. Early-career music graduates from Visible Music College make a median of around $25,523 per year.
East Tennessee State University earned the #9 position for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Music graduates of East Tennessee State University earn a median of about $24,436 a year early in their careers.
Belmont University landed the #10 spot for music salaries this year. Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. After graduating, music degree recipients from Belmont University typically earn about $30,355 annually.
Tennessee State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Tennessee State University typically earn about $23,868 annually.
Lipscomb University came in at #12 for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career music graduates from Lipscomb University make a median of around $19,352 per year.
The ranking above is published 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 · 12 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.