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Piano instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a piano instructor. Piano instructors usually study music, general education, specific areas, or psychology. 69% of piano instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,663 real piano instructor resumes to see exactly what piano instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for piano instructors are the Berklee College of Music and the Berklee College of Music.
There are also many online piano instructor courses to help get the education required to be a piano instructor.
There are certain piano instructor certifications that you should consider. These piano instructor certifications include Registered Piano Technician (RPT) and Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC).
What education do you need to become a piano instructor?
What degree do you need to be a piano instructor?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a piano instructor?
- Music, 52%
- Psychology, 4%
- Education, 4%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for piano instructors
| Piano instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | 14.29% |
| Brigham Young University | 9.66% |
| New York University | 7.56% |
| Florida State University | 5.88% |
| George Mason University | 5.46% |
Best majors for piano instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 52.4% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 14.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 4.0% |
| 4 | Education | 3.7% |
| 5 | Business | 3.4% |
Best colleges for piano instructors
The best colleges for piano instructors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A piano instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for piano instructors. 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 piano instructors.
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$47,350
Enrollment
3,962
5. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
6. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
20 best online courses for piano instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for piano instructors
The most affordable schools for piano instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for piano instructors 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 piano instructors.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for piano instructors
The hardest universities for piano instructors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for piano instructors 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 piano instructors 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for piano instructors
The easiest schools for piano instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, nyack college, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a piano instructor 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 piano instructors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average piano instructor salary by education level
| Piano instructor education level | Piano instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,113 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,124 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,769 |
| Doctorate Degree | $67,151 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,692 |
Piano instructor 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