Music graduates from San Diego State University earn $42,090 median salary, below the national average for this program. Median debt: $15,383.
Music at San Diego State University
San Diego, California • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Music at San Diego State University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for San Diego State University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Music at the bachelor's 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 55 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at San Diego State University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $42,090 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $44,011 across all institutions offering Music, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at San Diego State University, the mean median-earnings figure is $73,468, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Music graduates at San Diego State University is $15,383, which translates to roughly $128 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The descriptive debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.37: reported annual earnings exceed cumulative debt. This is a PlainCollege comparison, not a federal gainful-employment verdict. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Music at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Sonoma State University | $65,533 | - |
| Christopher Newport University | $63,852 | - |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | $61,943 | $27,000 |
| University of Florida | $61,446 | - |
| Northeastern University | $60,974 | $25,500 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | $60,974 | $25,500 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | $60,172 | $14,894 |
| University of Redlands | $59,275 | $27,000 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $59,218 | $15,175 |
| Vanderbilt University | $59,217 | $21,500 |
Other Programs at San Diego State University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $165,564 | - |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | $158,013 | $64,225 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $120,799 | $17,375 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $120,682 | $55,840 |
| Computer Engineering | $116,842 | $17,249 |
| Psychology, General | $111,549 | $30,710 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $110,830 | - |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $106,416 | $17,999 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $103,392 | $20,000 |
| Computer Science | $100,586 | $16,866 |
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.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.