Top Music Programs in Ohio by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in Ohio
This page ranks the 14 Music programs in Ohio by median earnings of Music graduates four years after completing. Ohio State University-Main Campus leads the list at $51,310, followed by Miami University-Oxford at $50,680 and Ohio University-Main Campus at $44,593.
The median across the listed schools is $43,174, with figures ranging from $51,310 to $13,702. For 3 of the 14 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 8 public and 6 private nonprofit institutions. Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
University of Akron Main Campus posts the lowest average net price at $13,946, and Wright State University-Main Campus reports the highest admission rate, admitting 96% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $51,310 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 1st on this list, reporting $51,310 in median earnings for its Music graduates four years after completing, and sits 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 2 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $50,680 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford admits 75% of applicants and posts median earnings of $50,680 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $27,000 among Music completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $44,593 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| With an average net price of $15,673 for families earning under $30,000, Ohio University-Main Campus reports $44,593 in median earnings for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $44,037 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus ranks 4th on this list and shows median earnings of $44,037 for its Music graduates four years after completing, alongside an 81% admission rate. | |||||
| 5 | Wright State University-Main Campus · Dayton, OH | $43,884 | $15,415 | $11,952 | 96.3% |
| Wright State University-Main Campus carries a median federal debt of $22,750 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Music graduates earn a median of $43,884 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH | $43,343 | $38,645 | $18,774 | 34.2% |
| Oberlin College, a private nonprofit institution, admits 34% of applicants and reports $43,343 in median earnings for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $43,222 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
| Kent State University at Kent posts median earnings of $43,222 for its Music graduates four years after completing, and its completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $28,000. | |||||
| 8 | Capital University · Columbus, OH | $43,125 | $22,576 | $19,062 | 70.2% |
| Capital University reports $43,125 in median earnings for its Music graduates four years after completing, and sits 1046th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 9 | Baldwin Wallace University · Berea, OH | $37,682 | $27,603 | $21,296 | 75.7% |
| With an average net price of $21,296 for families earning under $30,000, Baldwin Wallace University reports median earnings of $37,682 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Cleveland Institute of Music · Cleveland, OH | $37,656 | $28,226 | $23,782 | 47.3% |
| Cleveland Institute of Music admits 47% of applicants and its Music graduates earn a median of $37,656 four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $25,500 among Music completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $29,842 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| An average net price of $14,764 coincides with median earnings of $29,842 for Music graduates of Cleveland State University four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Cedarville University · Cedarville, OH | $23,649 | $24,468 | $18,987 | 65.3% |
| Cedarville University ranks 12th on this list, with median earnings of $23,649 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 65%. | |||||
| 13 | Otterbein University · Westerville, OH | $22,999 | $19,237 | $12,458 | 84.5% |
| Otterbein University, a private nonprofit university in Westerville, reports median earnings of $22,999 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 8. | |||||
| 14 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $13,702 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| University of Akron Main Campus admits 60% of applicants and posts an average net price of $13,946, the lowest among listed Ohio programs. | |||||
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 Ohio appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 14 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, or differences in who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Ohio State University-Main Campus and second-ranked Miami University-Oxford is $630, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $37,608.
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