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Music publisher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a music publisher. Music publishers usually study business, music, or entertainment business. 57% of music publishers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 51 real music publisher resumes to see exactly what music publisher education sections show.
The most common colleges for music publishers are the Middle Tennessee State University and the Middle Tennessee State University.
There are also many online music publisher courses to help get the education required to be a music publisher.
What education do you need to become a music publisher?
What degree do you need to be a music publisher?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 27%
- Master's, 11%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a music publisher?
Most common colleges for music publishers
| Music publisher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee State University | 9.09% |
| Belmont University | 9.09% |
| George Washington University, The | 4.55% |
| Warren Wilson College | 4.55% |
| College of Central Florida | 4.55% |
Best majors for music publishers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 20.6% |
| 2 | Music | 11.8% |
| 3 | Entertainment Business | 8.8% |
| 4 | History | 5.9% |
| 5 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 5.9% |
Best colleges for music publishers
The best colleges for music publishers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A music publisher 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 publishers. 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 publishers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for music publishers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for music publishers
The most affordable schools for music publishers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for music publishers 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 publishers.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for music publishers
The hardest universities for music publishers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for music publishers 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 publishers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for music publishers
The easiest schools for music publishers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a music publisher 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 publishers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average music publisher salary by education level
| Music publisher education level | Music publisher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,701 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,500 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $80,320 |
Music publisher education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025