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# Top Music Programs in Kentucky by Earnings (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-kentucky/)

This page ranks the 8 Music programs in Kentucky by the median earnings of Music graduates four years after completing. [Northern Kentucky University](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/) leads the list at $47,343, followed by [Morehead State University](/school/morehead-state-university/majors/) at $40,768 and [University of Kentucky](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) at $39,746.

The gap between the top two is $6,575. Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $47,343 to $23,579, and the median of those figures is $38,772.

For 1 of the 8 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 7 of the 8 schools, or 88% of the list. Northern Kentucky University posts the lowest average net price at $8,191, while University of Louisville ranks 207th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Western Kentucky University has the highest admission rate, admitting 94% of applicants.

## The ranked list

8 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $47,343 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
|  | [Northern Kentucky University](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/) reports [$47,343 in median earnings](/school/northern-kentucky-university/outcomes/) for its Music graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. |
| 2 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $40,768 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
|  | [Morehead State University](/school/morehead-state-university/majors/) [admits 77% of applicants](/school/morehead-state-university/admissions/) and its Music completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $25,000. |
| 3 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $39,746 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
|  | [University of Kentucky](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list and posts an [average net price of $18,851](/school/university-of-kentucky/cost/). |
| 4 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $39,168 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
|  | Median earnings of $39,168 four years after completing coincide with [University of Louisville](/school/university-of-louisville/majors/) holding the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, 207th among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 5 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $38,377 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
|  | [Western Kentucky University](/school/western-kentucky-university/majors/) [admits 94% of applicants](/school/western-kentucky-university/admissions/), with 38 graduates in its Music earnings cohort. |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY | $37,673 | $11,040 | $8,591 | 77.6% |
|  | [Eastern Kentucky University](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $19,315](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/cost/) among its Music completers who borrowed, and its graduates earned a median of $37,673 four years after completing. |
| 7 | Murray State University · Murray, KY | $36,697 | $9,096 | $6,242 | 85.7% |
|  | [Murray State University](/school/murray-state-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $9,096](/school/murray-state-university/cost/) and an admission rate of 86%. |
| 8 | Bellarmine University · Louisville, KY | $23,579 | $21,499 | $18,430 | 86.1% |
|  | Bellarmine University, a private nonprofit university in Louisville, posts median earnings of $23,579 for its Music graduates four years after completing. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Music graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Kentucky appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished. For 1 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students a program admits, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 8 schools with a published figure. Northern Kentucky University leads Morehead State University by $6,575, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $23,764.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Music Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-music-programs/)
-   [Top Music Programs in California by Earnings](/rankings/best-music-programs-in-california/)
-   [Top Music Programs in Florida by Earnings](/rankings/best-music-programs-in-florida/)
-   [Top Music Programs in New York by Earnings](/rankings/best-music-programs-in-new-york/)
-   [Top Music Programs in Michigan by Earnings](/rankings/best-music-programs-in-michigan/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-kentucky/)
-   Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky for Social Mobility