Best Musician programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
Play one or more musical instruments or sing.
52 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 803 people a year. The job pays a median of — in Pennsylvania across about 1,160 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (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 Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0901In Pennsylvania → | 358 | 44.6% | 44 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 2 | Music Performance, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0903In Pennsylvania → | 245 | 30.5% | 23 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0509In Pennsylvania → | 65 | 8.1% | 5 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 4 | Jazz/Jazz Studiesmain feeder CIP 50.0910In Pennsylvania → | 44 | 5.5% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 5 | Voice and Operamain feeder CIP 50.0908In Pennsylvania → | 30 | 3.7% | 4 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 6 | Music, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0999In Pennsylvania → | 21 | 2.6% | 4 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 7 | Stringed Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0911In Pennsylvania → | 14 | 1.7% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 8 | Music Pedagogymain feeder CIP 50.0912In Pennsylvania → | 13 | 1.6% | 4 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 9 | Keyboard Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0907In Pennsylvania → | 12 | 1.5% | 3 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 10 | Woodwind Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0915In Pennsylvania → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 52 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 7 feeder programs | 151 | Music Performance, General | $19,507 | 75% | — | 80% |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 80 | Music, General | — | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 3 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA Public · 6 feeder programs | 61 | Music, General | — | 71% | — | 78% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 60 | Music, General | $18,462 | 86% | — | 61% |
| 5 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 51 | Music Performance, General | $27,854 | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 6 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 47 | Music Performance, General | — | 75% | $25,675 | 79% |
| 7 | Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 39 | Music Performance, General | — | 96% | — | 5% |
| 8 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 31 | Music, General | $31,429 | 54% | — | 93% |
| 9 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 29 | Music, General | $33,070 | 56% | — | 91% |
| 10 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 23 | Music, General | $26,895 | 58% | — | 86% |
| 11 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Music, General | $17,725 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Music, General | — | 85% | — | 58% |
| 13 | Moravian University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Music, General | — | 72% | $28,454 | 54% |
| 14 | Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Music Performance, General | $49,383 | 65% | $24,925 | 84% |
| 15 | Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Music, General | $27,556 | 83% | $24,453 | 39% |
| 16 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Music, General | — | 82% | $23,111 | 72% |
| 17 | Point Park University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Musical Theatre | $23,147 | 59% | $23,704 | 97% |
| 18 | Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 10 | Music Performance, General | — | 67% | $21,399 | 56% |
| 19 | Bucks County Community College Newtown, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Music, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 20 | Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Music, General | — | 24% | — | — |
| 21 | Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Music Performance, General | — | 24% | — | — |
| 22 | Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Music Pedagogy | — | 76% | $22,907 | 78% |
| 23 | Lycoming College Williamsport, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 6 | Music, General | — | 60% | $17,924 | 74% |
| 24 | Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 6 | Music, General | — | 82% | $23,620 | 81% |
| 25 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Music, General | — | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
All 52 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 151 | 7 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 80 | 5 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester | Public | 61 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 60 | 3 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 51 | 3 |
| Messiah University | Mechanicsburg | Private not-for-profit | 47 | 4 |
| Curtis Institute of Music | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 39 | 4 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public | 31 | 2 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana | Public | 29 | 2 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville | Public | 23 | 3 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown | Public | 21 | 1 |
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 17 | 1 |
| Moravian University | Bethlehem | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Lebanon Valley College | Annville | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Gettysburg College | Gettysburg | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 2 |
What musicians and singers earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
BLS publishes an hourly wage only for this occupation. The work is intermittent, so no annual figure is estimated.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania, by employment
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 Musicians and Singers page.
How to become a Musician
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
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 Pennsylvania
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 12 majors mapped to Musicians and Singers12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0901Music, General
- 50.0903Music Performance, General
- 50.0907Keyboard Instruments
- 50.0908Voice and Opera
- 50.0910Jazz/Jazz Studies
- 50.0911Stringed Instruments
- 50.0912Music Pedagogy
- 50.0914Brass Instruments
- 50.0915Woodwind Instruments
- 50.0916Percussion Instruments
- 50.0999Music, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing musicians and singers programs in Pennsylvania.
What degree do you need to become a Musician?+
No formal educational credential is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Music, General, which awarded 358 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 44.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Musician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Music, Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. Together they graduate about 803 people a year in Pennsylvania.
Is demand for musicians and singers growing?+
BLS projects a +1.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 19,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Pennsylvania?+
52 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 10 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 musicians and singers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Singer, Musician, Violinist, Choir Member among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2042.
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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