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Music critic education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a music critic. Music critics usually study english, journalism, or communication. 72% of music critics hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 116 real music critic resumes to see exactly what music critic education sections show.
The most common colleges for music critics are the California State University - Fullerton and the California State University - Fullerton.
There are also many online music critic courses to help get the education required to be a music critic.
What education do you need to become a music critic?
What degree do you need to be a music critic?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 19%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a music critic?
- English, 21%
- Journalism, 11%
- Communication, 11%
- Writing, 7%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for music critics
| Music critic common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| California State University - Fullerton | 6.25% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 6.25% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.25% |
| Quinnipiac University | 6.25% |
| The University of Alabama | 6.25% |
Best majors for music critics
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 21.0% |
| 2 | Journalism | 11.1% |
| 3 | Communication | 11.1% |
| 4 | Writing | 7.4% |
| 5 | Music | 7.4% |
Best colleges for music critics
The best colleges for music critics are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
A music critic 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 critics. 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 critics.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
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 Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for music critics
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Top 10 most affordable universities for music critics
The most affordable schools for music critics are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for music critics 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 critics.
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. 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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for music critics
The hardest universities for music critics to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for music critics 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 critics 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for music critics
The easiest schools for music critics 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 a music critic 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 critics.
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average music critic salary by education level
| Music critic education level | Music critic salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,035 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,834 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $80,672 |
Music critic education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025