Best Music Director programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment
Conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal performances by musical artists or groups, such as orchestras, bands, choirs, and glee clubs; or create original works of.
39 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 842 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,380 in Ohio across about 440 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
11 programs in Ohio that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Ohio page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0903In Ohio → | 511 | 60.7% | 24 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0904In Ohio → | 90 | 10.7% | 15 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0509In Ohio → | 54 | 6.4% | 7 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0999In Ohio → | 48 | 5.7% | 5 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 5 | CIP 50.1003In Ohio → | 47 | 5.6% | 5 | $28,050 | $25,468 |
| 6 | CIP 50.0913In Ohio → | 41 | 4.9% | 7 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 7 | Worship Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0502In Ohio → | 15 | 1.8% | 2 | $30,092 | $27,000 |
| 8 | CIP 50.0908In Ohio → | 15 | 1.8% | 4 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 9 | Religious/Sacred Musicmain feeder CIP 39.0501In Ohio → | 8 | 1.0% | 4 | $30,092 | $27,000 |
| 10 | CIP 50.0906In Ohio → | 7 | 0.8% | 3 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 11 | CIP 50.0905In Ohio → | 6 | 0.7% | 3 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
Top 25 schools in Ohio
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 39 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 5 feeder programs | 177 | Music Performance, General | $12,875 | 75% | — | 85% |
| 2 | Oberlin College Oberlin, OH Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 123 | Music Performance, General | $17,141 | 81% | $28,313 | 34% |
| 3 | Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 97 | Music Performance, General | — | 72% | $32,899 | 47% |
| 4 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 7 feeder programs | 87 | Music Management | — | 65% | — | 85% |
| 5 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 66 | Music Performance, General | $20,632 | 64% | — | 81% |
| 6 | Capital University Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 30 | Music, Other | $33,143 | 60% | $22,920 | 70% |
| 7 | Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH Public · 5 feeder programs | 30 | Musical Theatre | $24,565 | 64% | — | 86% |
| 8 | Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 26 | Voice and Opera | — | 67% | $25,104 | 76% |
| 9 | Cedarville University Cedarville, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 19 | Worship Ministry | — | 73% | $22,701 | 65% |
| 10 | University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Music Performance, General | $36,293 | 52% | — | 60% |
| 11 | Stark State College North Canton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Music Theory and Composition | — | 23% | — | — |
| 12 | Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 16 | Music Performance, General | — | 50% | — | 84% |
| 13 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Music Performance, General | $19,353 | 80% | — | 75% |
| 14 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Music Performance, General | $26,084 | 88% | — | 61% |
| 15 | Kent State University at Stark North Canton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Music Technology | $24,340 | 37% | — | — |
| 16 | Tiffin University Tiffin, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 10 | Music, Other | — | 40% | $24,126 | 80% |
| 17 | Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Music Performance, General | — | 42% | — | 96% |
| 18 | Xavier University Cincinnati, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Musical Theatre | — | 69% | $31,119 | 86% |
| 19 | Otterbein University Westerville, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 9 | Musical Theatre | $12,546 | 68% | $20,150 | 85% |
| 20 | Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Music Theory and Composition | — | 41% | — | — |
| 21 | Hocking College Nelsonville, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Music Management | — | 37% | — | — |
| 22 | The College of Wooster Wooster, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Music Theory and Composition | — | 74% | $22,491 | 60% |
| 23 | Owens Community College Perrysburg, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Music Technology | — | 35% | — | — |
| 24 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Music, Other | — | 87% | $27,976 | 37% |
| 25 | Terra State Community College Fremont, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Music Technology | — | 39% | — | — |
All 39 schools in Ohio
Every school in Ohio with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati | Public | 177 | 5 |
| Oberlin College | Oberlin | Private not-for-profit | 123 | 4 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music | Cleveland | Private not-for-profit | 97 | 1 |
| Ohio University - Main Campus | Athens | Public | 87 | 7 |
| Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green | Public | 66 | 3 |
| Capital University | Columbus | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 5 |
| Kent State University at Kent | Kent | Public | 30 | 5 |
| Baldwin Wallace University | Berea | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 5 |
| Cedarville University | Cedarville | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 3 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | Akron | Public | 19 | 2 |
| Stark State College | North Canton | Public | 16 | 1 |
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown | Public | 16 | 3 |
| Miami University - Oxford | Oxford | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus | Public | 11 | 2 |
| Kent State University at Stark | North Canton | Public | 10 | 1 |
What music directors and composers earn in Ohio
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $73,710. Ohio pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Ohio
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Music Directors and Composers page.
How to become a Music Director
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Ohio
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 12 majors mapped to Music Directors and Composers12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 39.0501Religious/Sacred Music
- 39.0502Worship Ministry
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0903Music Performance, General
- 50.0904Music Theory and Composition
- 50.0905Musicology and Ethnomusicology
- 50.0906Conducting
- 50.0908Voice and Opera
- 50.0913Music Technology
- 50.0917Sound Arts
- 50.0999Music, Other
- 50.1003Music Management
Common questions
Answers for people weighing music directors and composers programs in Ohio.
What degree do you need to become a Music Director?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Music Performance, General, which awarded 511 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 60.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Music Director?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 11 programs to this occupation. The largest are Music, Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Arts, Religious Music and Worship. Together they graduate about 842 people a year in Ohio.
How much do music directors and composers earn in Ohio?+
The median is $61,380 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 16.7% below the U.S. median of $73,710. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for music directors and composers growing?+
BLS projects a -0.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 4,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Ohio?+
39 institutions in Ohio reported graduates from at least one of the 11 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do music directors and composers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Conductor, Choir Director, Music Composer, Music Director among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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