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Assistant professor of music education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant professor of music. Assistant professors of music usually study music, general education, specific areas, or education. 48% of assistant professors of music hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 164 real assistant professor of music resumes to see exactly what assistant professor of music education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant professors of music are the Temple University and the Temple University.

There are also many online assistant professor of music courses to help get the education required to be an assistant professor of music.

What education do you need to become an assistant professor of music?

What degree do you need to be an assistant professor of music?

The most common degree for assistant professors of music is bachelor's degree, with 48% of assistant professors of music earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 33% and master's degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 48%
  • Master's, 33%
  • Doctorate, 15%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an assistant professor of music?

You should major in music to become an assistant professor of music. 49% of assistant professors of music major in music. Other common majors for an assistant professor of music include general education, specific areas and education.

Most common colleges for assistant professors of music

Assistant professors of music often get their degrees at Temple University, University of Southern California, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant professors of music in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant professor of music common collegePercentages
Temple University8.51%
University of Southern California8.51%
Arizona State University6.38%
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga6.38%
Boston University6.38%

Best majors for assistant professors of music

Best colleges for assistant professors of music

The best colleges for assistant professors of music are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

An assistant professor of music with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant professors of music. 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 assistant professors of music.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for assistant professors of music

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18. Music Theory - Fundamentals for Composition in Any Genre

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant professors of music

The most affordable schools for assistant professors of music are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for assistant professors of music 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 assistant professors of music.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant professors of music

The hardest universities for assistant professors of music to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for assistant professors of music 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 assistant professors of music 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant professors of music

The easiest schools for assistant professors of music to get into are Wayland Baptist University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant professor of music 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 assistant professors of music.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

Average assistant professor of music salary by education level

According to our data, assistant professors of music with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,819 annually. Assistant professors of music with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $48,091.
Assistant professor of music education levelAssistant professor of music salary
Master's Degree$48,091
Doctorate Degree$58,819

Assistant professor of music education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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