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Musician Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a musician. Musicians usually study music, general education, specific areas, or business. 61% of musicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 10,656 real musician resumes to see exactly what musician education sections show.
The most common colleges for musicians are the Berklee College of Music and the Berklee College of Music.
There are also many online musician courses to help get the education required to be a musician.
What education do you need to become a musician?
What degree do you need to be a musician?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a musician?
Most common colleges for musicians
Musician Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | 18.68% |
| Full Sail University | 8.42% |
| University of North Texas | 7.69% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.68% |
| Florida State University | 5.13% |
Best majors for musicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 39.1% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 8.9% |
| 3 | Business | 8.6% |
| 4 | Music Performance | 5.3% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.0% |
Best colleges for musicians
The best colleges for musicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A musician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for musicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become musicians.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for musicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for musicians
The most affordable schools for musicians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for musicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for musicians.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,064
Cost of Attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for musicians
The hardest universities for musicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for musicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for musicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
4. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,465
5. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for musicians
The easiest schools for musicians to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, nyack college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a musician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for musicians.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,111
Average musician salary by education level
| Musician education level | Musician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,782 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,701 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,545 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $60,547 |
Musician Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025