Music at San Diego State University

SDSU's music program graduates earn $20,440 their first year out—barely above California's median for music degrees despite the school's 34% admission rate suggesting reasonable selectivity. While this places the program in the 40th percentile statewide, it significantly trails other California State University campuses like Monterey Bay ($28,009) and San Bernardino ($27,724), raising questions about career preparation or network strength specific to SDSU's program.

The saving grace here is debt management. At $15,131, graduates carry about $7,400 less than the typical California music graduate and nearly $11,000 less than the national figure. This creates a manageable 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates can theoretically pay off their loans in under nine months of gross earnings—a best-case scenario for a notoriously low-paying field. Still, $20,440 annually translates to less than $10 per hour for full-time work, which means financial support or supplementary income will likely be necessary in those early years.

For families comfortable with their child pursuing music, SDSU won't saddle them with crushing debt. But the earnings gap compared to peer institutions suggests you're not getting the career launch that the university's overall reputation might imply. If music performance or education is the goal, look closely at whether SDSU's specific program offers the connections and training that higher-earning CSU programs apparently provide.