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Private Music Teacher Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a private music teacher. Private music teachers usually study music, general education, specific areas, or education. 70% of private music teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,562 real private music teacher resumes to see exactly what private music teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for private music teachers are the Berklee College of Music and the Berklee College of Music.
There are also many online private music teacher courses to help get the education required to be a private music teacher.
There are certain private music teacher certifications that you should consider. These private music teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC).
What education do you need to become a private music teacher?
What degree do you need to be a private music teacher?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a private music teacher?
Most common colleges for private music teachers
| Private Music Teacher Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | 11.46% |
| University of North Texas | 9.55% |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 7.01% |
| Brigham Young University | 6.37% |
| Michigan State University | 5.73% |
Best majors for private music teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 38.5% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 17.8% |
| 3 | Education | 6.9% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 4.8% |
| 5 | Music Performance | 4.3% |
Best colleges for private music teachers
The best colleges for private music teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A private music teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for private music teachers. 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 private music teachers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for private music teachers
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18. Adventures in Classical Music-Music Appreciation for All!
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19. Music Theory for Electronic Producers - The Complete Course!
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20. Learn Indian Voice Music from the scratch to advance
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Top 10 most affordable universities for private music teachers
The most affordable schools for private music teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for private music teachers 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 private music teachers.
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 - 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,587
Cost of Attendance
16,915
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Cost of Attendance
14,469
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Cost of Attendance
25,527
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,749
Cost of Attendance
14,823
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$4,831
Cost of Attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for private music teachers
The hardest universities for private music teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for private music teachers 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 private music teachers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,506
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for private music teachers
The easiest schools for private music teachers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a private music teacher 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 private music teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
81%
SAT Average
999
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,111
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,024
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
10. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,046
Average private music teacher salary by education level
| Private Music Teacher education level | Private Music Teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,473 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,124 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,817 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,493 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,369 |
Private Music Teacher Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025