Music graduates from Michigan State University earn $64,672 median salary — above the national average for this program.
Music at Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan • Doctoral
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Music at Michigan State University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Michigan State University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Music at the doctoral credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 49 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Michigan State University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $64,672 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $54,584 across all institutions offering Music, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Michigan State University, the mean median-earnings figure is $72,735, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school.. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Music at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $75,367 | $41,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $75,055 | — |
| University of California-San Diego | $68,693 | — |
| University of Maryland-College Park | $68,660 | — |
| Northwestern University | $66,572 | — |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | $65,495 | — |
| Michigan State University (this school) | $64,672 | — |
| University of North Texas | $64,315 | $36,476 |
| Boston University | $60,156 | — |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | $60,133 | — |
Other Programs at Michigan State University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | $188,085 | $78,686 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $142,927 | $51,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $139,589 | $30,375 |
| Medicine | $130,503 | $251,502 |
| Veterinary Medicine | $127,621 | $177,857 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $127,481 | $41,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $123,621 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $118,130 | $48,355 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $116,905 | $22,500 |
| Chemistry | $113,129 | — |
Other Schools with Music
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.