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Instrumental music teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an instrumental music teacher. Instrumental music teachers usually study general education, specific areas, music, or education. 76% of instrumental music teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 567 real instrumental music teacher resumes to see exactly what instrumental music teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for instrumental music teachers are the Montclair State University and the Montclair State University.
There are also many online instrumental music teacher courses to help get the education required to be an instrumental music teacher.
What education do you need to become an instrumental music teacher?
What degree do you need to be an instrumental music teacher?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an instrumental music teacher?
Most common colleges for instrumental music teachers
| Instrumental music teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Montclair State University | 9.28% |
| Ithaca College | 8.25% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.22% |
| William Paterson University of New Jersey | 6.19% |
| New York University | 6.19% |
Best majors for instrumental music teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Education, Specific Areas | 42.7% |
| 2 | Music | 25.8% |
| 3 | Education | 15.9% |
| 4 | Music Performance | 2.8% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 2.3% |
Best colleges for instrumental music teachers
The best colleges for instrumental music teachers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
An instrumental music 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 instrumental music 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 instrumental music teachers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for instrumental music teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for instrumental music teachers
The most affordable schools for instrumental music teachers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for instrumental music 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 instrumental music teachers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 instrumental music teachers
The hardest universities for instrumental music teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for instrumental music 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 instrumental music 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. 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instrumental music teachers
The easiest schools for instrumental music teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instrumental music 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 instrumental music 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. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average instrumental music teacher salary by education level
| Instrumental music teacher education level | Instrumental music teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,087 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,354 |
Instrumental music teacher 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