Best colleges for Music in New York
Ranked by graduate earnings
CUNY Hunter College, Columbia University and New York University are the top bachelor's Music programs in New York by graduate earnings. CUNY Hunter College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $33,384, College Scorecard. Manhattan School of Music, New York University and The New School award the most Music degrees in New York: 334, 294 and 247 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 69 New York colleges offer Music and award 2,298 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Music program falls under the field of Visual and Performing Arts, focusing on the study and performance of music. It caters to students interested in various aspects of music, including performance, theory, and history, allowing them…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Hunter College New York Public · Bachelor's degree | $33,384 | 21 | 57% | — | — |
| 2 | Columbia University New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $32,924 | 29 | 96% | $15,315 | — |
| 3 | New York University New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $24,398 | 294 | 88% | $29,023 | $25,000 |
| 4 | Ithaca College Ithaca Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $23,119 | 45 | 76% | $28,970 | $27,000 |
| 5 | SUNY at Fredonia Fredonia Public · Bachelor's degree | $21,524 | 41 | 50% | — | $27,000 |
| 6 | CUNY City College New York Public · Bachelor's degree | $19,145 | 33 | 57% | — | $20,000 |
| 7 | Syracuse University Syracuse Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $18,574 | 27 | 84% | $28,851 | — |
| 8 | SUNY at Purchase College Purchase Public · Bachelor's degree | $17,887 | 72 | 63% | — | $22,179 |
| 9 | State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz Public · Bachelor's degree | $17,406 | 20 | 72% | — | — |
| 10 | University of Rochester Rochester Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $14,310 | 228 | 85% | $25,874 | $26,769 |
Colleges awarding the most Music degrees in New York
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan School of Music New York Private not-for-profit | 334 | Not reported |
| 2 | New York University New York Private not-for-profit | 294 | $24,398 |
| 3 | The New School New York Private not-for-profit | 247 | $12,109 |
| 4 | The Juilliard School New York Private not-for-profit | 246 | Not reported |
| 5 | University of Rochester Rochester Private not-for-profit | 228 | $14,310 |
| 6 | SUNY at Purchase College Purchase Public | 72 | $17,887 |
| 7 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook Public | 59 | Not reported |
| 8 | Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson Private not-for-profit | 58 | Not reported |
| 9 | Ithaca College Ithaca Private not-for-profit | 45 | $23,119 |
| 10 | CUNY Queens College Queens Public | 43 | Not reported |
ShowHide the other 59 New York colleges offering Music
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Brooklyn College | Brooklyn | Public | 42 |
| Long Island University | Brookville | Private not-for-profit | 41 |
| SUNY at Fredonia | Fredonia | Public | 41 |
| Schenectady County Community College | Schenectady | Public | 34 |
| CUNY City College | New York | Public | 33 |
| Columbia University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | New York | Public | 27 |
| Syracuse University | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| CUNY Hunter College | New York | Public | 21 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center (Online) | New York | Public | 20 |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz | Public | 20 |
| Houghton University | Houghton | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| Onondaga Community College | Syracuse | Public | 17 |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego | Public | 17 |
| Binghamton University | Vestal | Public | 16 |
| Cornell University | Ithaca | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| Five Towns College | Dix Hills | Private for-profit | 15 |
| SUNY Broome Community College | Binghamton | Public | 14 |
| Nazareth University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 14 |
| University at Buffalo | Buffalo | Public | 13 |
| Suffolk County Community College | Selden | Public | 12 |
| Mercy University | Dobbs Ferry | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| CUNY LaGuardia Community College | Long Island City | Public | 10 |
| Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| SUNY College at Potsdam | Potsdam | Public | 10 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | New York | Public | 9 |
| Fordham University | Bronx | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Nassau Community College | Garden City | Public | 9 |
| Roberts Wesleyan University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| CUNY Hostos Community College | Bronx | Public | 7 |
| SUNY Buffalo State University | Buffalo | Public | 7 |
| College of Staten Island CUNY | Staten Island | Public | 6 |
| CUNY Lehman College | Bronx | Public | 6 |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo | Public | 6 |
| Wagner College | Staten Island | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| CUNY York College | Jamaica | Public | 5 |
| Niagara County Community College | Sanborn | Public | 5 |
| Union College | Schenectady | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| CUNY Queensborough Community College | Bayside | Public | 4 |
| Manhattan University | Riverdale | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Monroe Community College | Rochester | Public | 4 |
| University at Albany | Albany | Public | 4 |
| Alfred University | Alfred | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Colgate University | Hamilton | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Barnard College | New York | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Manhattanville University | Purchase | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Orange County Community College | Middletown | Public | 2 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| St Lawrence University | Canton | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta | Public | 2 |
| State University of New York at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Public | 2 |
| Adelphi University | Garden City | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Finger Lakes Community College | Canandaigua | Public | 1 |
| Hartwick College | Oneonta | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Jamestown Community College | Jamestown | Public | 1 |
| Le Moyne College | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Molloy University | Rockville Centre | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Musicians and Singers (SOC 27-2042).
Top skills
What Musicians and Singers earn in New York
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Music programs in New York.
Which New York colleges award the most Music degrees?+
Manhattan School of Music (334 graduates a year), New York University (294 graduates a year) and The New School (247 graduates a year) award the most Music degrees in New York, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 69 New York colleges offer Music.
What is the best college for Music in New York?+
By graduate earnings, CUNY Hunter College leads among bachelor's Music programs in New York, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $33,384, College Scorecard. Columbia University and New York University follow. By degrees awarded, Manhattan School of Music is the largest, with 334 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Music program in New York has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, CUNY Hunter College tops the list at $33,384. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
What is the focus of the Music program?+
The Music program falls under the field of Visual and Performing Arts, focusing on the study and performance of music. It caters to students interested in various aspects of music, including performance, theory, and history, allowing them…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop speaking, active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Musicians and Singers?+
The national job outlook is about +1.1% growth with around 19,400 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A No formal educational credential is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card