Music at Atlanta Institute of Music and Media

Atlanta Institute of Music and Media's associate program posts exceptionally low first-year earnings of $16,086—landing in just the 5th percentile nationally for music programs. That's nearly $7,000 below the national median, which itself isn't particularly high. The $19,687 in typical debt means graduates owe more than they'll earn in their first year, a challenging starting position for anyone trying to launch a music career.

Here's the critical nuance: among Georgia's handful of music programs, this actually ranks at the 60th percentile. That's not praise for this program—it's a warning about how tough the music associate degree market is in Georgia. With half of students receiving Pell grants, many graduates here are starting from financial vulnerability and ending up with debt that exceeds their immediate earning power.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked) means individual outcomes could vary significantly, and music careers notoriously take time to build. But even accounting for the industry's realities, these numbers require serious family conversation about financial support during the early career years. Unless your child has concrete connections in the music industry or a clear commercial path, this degree will likely require substantial family backing or additional education to reach financial independence.