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Studio musician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a studio musician. Studio musicians usually study music, general education, specific areas, or business. 61% of studio musicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 201 real studio musician resumes to see exactly what studio musician education sections show.
The most common colleges for studio musicians are the Berklee College of Music and the Berklee College of Music.
There are also many online studio musician courses to help get the education required to be a studio musician.
What education do you need to become a studio musician?
What degree do you need to be a studio musician?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a studio musician?
Most common colleges for studio musicians
| Studio musician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | 20.00% |
| Millikin University | 5.71% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 5.71% |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 5.71% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.71% |
Best majors for studio musicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 35.5% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 9.3% |
| 3 | Business | 6.5% |
| 4 | Entertainment Business | 5.6% |
| 5 | Music Performance | 5.6% |
Best colleges for studio musicians
The best colleges for studio musicians are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A studio musician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for studio musicians. 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 studio musicians.
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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
20 best online courses for studio musicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for studio musicians
The most affordable schools for studio musicians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for studio musicians 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 studio musicians.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for studio musicians
The hardest universities for studio musicians to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for studio musicians 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 studio musicians 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for studio musicians
The easiest schools for studio musicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, bluefield college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a studio musician 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 studio musicians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average studio musician salary by education level
| Studio musician education level | Studio musician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,520 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,012 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,674 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,061 |
Studio musician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025