Music at Southeastern Louisiana University

Southeastern Louisiana's music program posts remarkable first-year earnings of $41,404—ranking in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th among Louisiana music programs. This substantially outpaces both the national median ($26,036) and Louisiana's typical music graduate ($29,917), making it the second-highest earning music program in the state behind only McNeese State. With debt at $30,745 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74, graduates start with manageable financial obligations relative to their income.

The significant caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary considerably from these figures. More concerning is the earnings trajectory—graduates see their income drop 11% to $36,779 by year four. While this pattern isn't unusual in music careers (where early teaching positions sometimes give way to freelance work or career transitions), it's worth understanding whether your child plans to pursue stable employment in music education versus performance or other paths.

For families considering music degrees in Louisiana, this program appears to position graduates better than most state alternatives for finding immediate employment. The relatively high admission rate (94%) suggests accessibility, and the debt level, while higher than Louisiana's median for music programs, remains reasonable given the strong initial earnings. Just recognize that the small sample size means you're making decisions with limited data points.