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University of Southern California is a specialized music education institution anchored in a single dominant program family. Music Education is the largest and defining program, graduating 832 students annually with median four-year earnings of $109,128. Across 72 programs serving roughly 5,633 students annually, the institution's portfolio concentrates almost entirely on music pedagogy and performance pathways — a signature that reflects its mission as a conservatory-style teacher-training institution rather than a broad liberal arts or research university. The earnings pattern at University of Southern California reflects the realities of music education labor markets. Computer Science graduates earn median four-year earnings of $192,897, positioning the institution's highest-earning pathway within the context of education-sector compensation. Unlike institutions with diversified program portfolios spanning engineering, business, and health fields, University of Southern California's outcomes are shaped by the fact that nearly all graduates enter education or performance-adjacent careers — pathways where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because many music educators see earnings growth through advanced degrees, administrative roles, or private instruction income that Scorecard data does not fully capture. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework provides useful context: music education sits in a sector with stable but modest wage growth and significant geographic variation in hiring. For students committed to music pedagogy or performance, University of Southern California's specialized focus and concentrated alumni network in the music education field can provide meaningful advantages in job placement and professional community — outcomes that extend beyond the four-year earnings snapshot and reflect the institution's distinctive market position.