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Cantor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a cantor. Cantors usually study music, general education, specific areas, or education. 78% of cantors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 184 real cantor resumes to see exactly what cantor education sections show.
The most common colleges for cantors are the Oberlin College and the Oberlin College.
There are also many online cantor courses to help get the education required to be a cantor.
What education do you need to become a cantor?
What degree do you need to be a cantor?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a cantor?
Most common colleges for cantors
| Cantor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Oberlin College | 8.33% |
| Jewish Theological Seminary of America | 8.33% |
| Central Connecticut State University | 5.56% |
| Temple University | 5.56% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 5.56% |
Best majors for cantors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 41.1% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 11.2% |
| 3 | Education | 4.7% |
| 4 | English | 4.7% |
| 5 | History | 3.7% |
Best colleges for cantors
The best colleges for cantors are Boston College, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A cantor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cantors. 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 cantors.
1. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
2. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. North Park University
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$29,860
Enrollment
1,967
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$38,178
Enrollment
6,008
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$25,870
Enrollment
5,570
10. Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$32,000
Enrollment
2,010
20 best online courses for cantors
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for cantors
The most affordable schools for cantors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for cantors 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 cantors.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cantors
The hardest universities for cantors to get into are Boston College, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for cantors 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 cantors 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cantors
The easiest schools for cantors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cantor 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 cantors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average cantor salary by education level
| Cantor education level | Cantor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,563 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,347 |
| Doctorate Degree | $36,056 |
Cantor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025