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Performing artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a performing artist. Performing artists usually study music, fine arts, or theatre. 63% of performing artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 735 real performing artist resumes to see exactly what performing artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for performing artists are the Berklee College of Music and the Berklee College of Music.
There are also many online performing artist courses to help get the education required to be a performing artist.
What education do you need to become a performing artist?
What degree do you need to be a performing artist?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a performing artist?
Most common colleges for performing artists
| Performing artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | 7.35% |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | 5.88% |
| Temple University | 5.88% |
| Full Sail University | 5.88% |
| Middle Tennessee State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for performing artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 20.1% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 9.0% |
| 3 | Theatre | 9.0% |
| 4 | Business | 8.7% |
| 5 | Communication | 7.5% |
Best colleges for performing artists
The best colleges for performing artists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A performing 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 performing 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 performing artists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for performing artists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for performing artists
The most affordable schools for performing artists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for performing 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 performing artists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. 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
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for performing artists
The hardest universities for performing artists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for performing 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 performing 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for performing artists
The easiest schools for performing artists to get into are Wayland Baptist University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a performing 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 performing artists.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average performing artist salary by education level
| Performing artist education level | Performing artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $44,755 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,196 |
Performing artist 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