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Choral teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a choral teacher. Choral teachers usually study music, general education, specific areas, or education. 86% of choral teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 57 real choral teacher resumes to see exactly what choral teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for choral teachers are the The University of the Arts and the The University of the Arts.

There are also many online choral teacher courses to help get the education required to be a choral teacher.

What education do you need to become a choral teacher?

What degree do you need to be a choral teacher?

The most common degree for choral teachers is bachelor's degree, with 86% of choral teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 86%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become a choral teacher?

You should major in music to become a choral teacher. 30% of choral teachers major in music. Other common majors for a choral teacher include general education, specific areas and education.

Most common colleges for choral teachers

Choral teachers often get their degrees at The University of the Arts, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Here are the most common colleges for choral teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Choral teacher common collegePercentages
The University of the Arts9.09%
West Chester University of Pennsylvania9.09%
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania4.55%
Western Washington University4.55%
Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico4.55%

Best majors for choral teachers

Best colleges for choral teachers

The best colleges for choral teachers are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A choral teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for choral teachers. 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 choral teachers.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for choral teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for choral teachers

The most affordable schools for choral teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for choral teachers 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 choral teachers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. 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

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for choral teachers

The hardest universities for choral teachers to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for choral teachers 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 choral teachers 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for choral teachers

The easiest schools for choral teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and san francisco state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a choral teacher 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 choral teachers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

6. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

7. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

8. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

9. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

10. Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, PA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,019

Average choral teacher salary by education level

Choral teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $63,807 annually. With a Master's degree, choral teachers earn a median annual income of $62,941 compared to $50,626 for choral teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Choral teacher education levelChoral teacher salary
Master's Degree$62,941
Bachelor's Degree$50,626
Doctorate Degree$63,807

Choral teacher 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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