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Piano player education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a piano player. Piano players usually study music, psychology, or business. 60% of piano players hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 124 real piano player resumes to see exactly what piano player education sections show.
The most common colleges for piano players are the Texas A&M; University - Commerce and the Texas A&M; University - Commerce.
There are also many online piano player courses to help get the education required to be a piano player.
What education do you need to become a piano player?
What degree do you need to be a piano player?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a piano player?
- Music, 24%
- Psychology, 10%
- Business, 10%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for piano players
| Piano player common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University - Commerce | 9.09% |
| Berklee College of Music | 9.09% |
| Western Washington University | 4.55% |
| North Central College | 4.55% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 4.55% |
Best majors for piano players
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 24.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.2% |
| 3 | Business | 10.2% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.1% |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | 6.1% |
Best colleges for piano players
The best colleges for piano players are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A piano player 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 players. 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 players.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for piano players
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Top 10 most affordable universities for piano players
The most affordable schools for piano players are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for piano players 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 players.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for piano players
The hardest universities for piano players to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for piano players 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 players 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for piano players
The easiest schools for piano players 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 piano player 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 players.
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. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average piano player salary by education level
| Piano player education level | Piano player salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,190 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,069 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,569 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,415 |
Piano player education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025