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High school music instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school music instructor. High school music instructors usually study general education, specific areas, english, or education. 69% of high school music instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 123 real high school music instructor resumes to see exactly what high school music instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school music instructors are the Tennessee State University and the Tennessee State University.
There are also many online high school music instructor courses to help get the education required to be a high school music instructor.
What education do you need to become a high school music instructor?
What degree do you need to be a high school music instructor?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a high school music instructor?
Most common colleges for high school music instructors
| High school music instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Tennessee State University | 10.00% |
| Western Washington University | 6.67% |
| Sarah Lawrence College | 6.67% |
| University of Florida | 6.67% |
| Seattle University | 6.67% |
Best majors for high school music instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Education, Specific Areas | 14.8% |
| 2 | English | 12.5% |
| 3 | Education | 10.2% |
| 4 | Music | 9.1% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 6.8% |
Best colleges for high school music instructors
The best colleges for high school music instructors are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A high school music instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for high school music instructors. 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 high school music instructors.
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for high school music instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school music instructors
The most affordable schools for high school music instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for high school music instructors 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 high school music instructors.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. 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
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for high school music instructors
The hardest universities for high school music instructors to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for high school music instructors 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 high school music instructors 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school music instructors
The easiest schools for high school music instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, san francisco state university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school music instructor 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 high school music instructors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average high school music instructor salary by education level
| High school music instructor education level | High school music instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,190 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,735 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,096 |
High school music instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025