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Music artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a music artist. Music artists usually study business, music, or communication. 60% of music artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 372 real music artist resumes to see exactly what music artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for music artists are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online music artist courses to help get the education required to be a music artist.
What education do you need to become a music artist?
What degree do you need to be a music artist?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a music artist?
- Business, 15%
- Music, 14%
- Communication, 9%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for music artists
| Music artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 11.76% |
| Berklee College of Music | 11.76% |
| Syracuse University | 5.88% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 5.88% |
| Belmont University | 5.88% |
Best majors for music artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.3% |
| 2 | Music | 14.1% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.6% |
| 4 | Entertainment Business | 7.4% |
| 5 | Photography | 6.1% |
Best colleges for music artists
The best colleges for music artists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.
A music artist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for music artists. 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 music artists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for music artists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for music artists
The most affordable schools for music artists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for music artists 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 music artists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for music artists
The hardest universities for music artists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for music artists 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 music artists 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for music artists
The easiest schools for music artists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a music artist 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 music artists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average music artist salary by education level
| Music artist education level | Music artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,523 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,846 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,453 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,989 |
Music artist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025