Music at Emory University

Emory's music program costs students roughly half what most music graduates carry in debt—just $13,000 versus a national median of $26,000—while delivering earnings in the 80th percentile among Georgia music programs. That's a rare combination for an arts degree, though the small graduating class (under 30 students) means your child's experience could vary significantly from these medians.

First-year earnings of $33,430 trail what many Emory graduates earn, but that's the reality of music careers early on. The debt load makes this manageable: borrowers would face monthly payments around $145 on a standard 10-year plan, or about 5% of gross income. Compare that to the typical music graduate nationwide who's juggling double the debt on lower earnings. Among Georgia schools, only Emory and Georgia State crack $25,000 in first-year earnings, though UGA's graduates carry even less debt.

The real question is whether your child needs Emory's prestige (11% admission rate, highly selective) to launch a music career, or whether a less expensive path would serve equally well. These numbers suggest Emory doesn't saddle music students with crushing debt, but the small sample size means you should talk to recent graduates directly about career outcomes. If your child is already admitted and committed to music, the low debt burden is genuinely reassuring—just remember these early earnings typically represent teaching gigs, gigging, or day jobs while building a career.