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 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying music schools.
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Below are the schools whose music graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in music, no school beat Sam Houston State University this year. Located in the town of Huntsville, Sam Houston State University is a public institution. Music graduates of Sam Houston State University earn a median of about $76,384 a year early in their careers. University Of Houston came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from University Of Houston make a median of around $52,249 per year. Strong graduate earnings at Stephen F Austin State University earned it the #3 place for music. Located in the town of Nacogdoches, Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from Stephen F Austin State University make a median of around $49,492 per year. Strong graduate earnings at University Of Arizona earned it the #4 place for music. University Of Arizona is a public school located in the city of Tucson. Music graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of about $43,021 a year early in their careers. University Of New Mexico Main Campus produces some of the highest-paid graduates in music, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Early-career music graduates from University Of New Mexico Main Campus make a median of around $42,269 per year. Texas Womans University came in at #6 for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Denton, Texas Womans University is a public institution. Music graduates of Texas Womans University earn a median of about $38,362 a year early in their careers. Texas State University San Marcos landed the #7 spot for music salaries this year. Set in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a public institution. After graduating, music degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos typically earn about $54,561 annually.1
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Texas Tech University earned the #8 position for music graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Early-career music graduates from Texas Tech University make a median of around $47,170 per year. University Of North Texas earned the #9 position for music graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,651. Southern Methodist University landed the #10 spot for music salaries this year. Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. Early-career music graduates from Southern Methodist University make a median of around $44,698 per year. Rice University landed the #11 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the city of Houston, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $36,730. University Of Central Oklahoma earned the #12 position for music graduate earnings this year. University Of Central Oklahoma is a public school located in the suburb of Edmond. Music graduates of University Of Central Oklahoma earn a median of about $31,933 a year early in their careers. The University Of Texas At Austin landed the #13 spot for music salaries this year. The University Of Texas At Austin is a public school located in the city of Austin. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,444. Arizona State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Arizona State University is a public school located in the city of Tempe. Music graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of about $36,855 a year early in their careers.8
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University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #15 spot for music salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Norman, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the music program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,914. Oklahoma City University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying music schools. Oklahoma City University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Oklahoma City. Music graduates of Oklahoma City University earn a median of about $25,621 a year early in their careers.15
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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 · 16 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.