Music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's music program produces graduates who earn about 31% more than the typical music bachelor's holder nationwide, placing it in the top quarter of all music programs. The $34,079 first-year salary beats the national median of $26,036, though it trails several larger Illinois public universities like Northern Illinois ($42,830) and Eastern Illinois ($37,163). Still, at the 60th percentile among Illinois music programs, this represents solid middle-of-the-pack performance in a competitive state market.

The debt picture is reasonable for an arts program. At $23,500, graduates owe about $3,000 less than typical music majors nationally, and the 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio means students can expect to earn enough to manage their loans comfortably. Compare this to many music programs where debt exceeds first-year earnings entirely—that's a meaningful advantage.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year, so don't treat them as gospel. But if your child is serious about music and prefers staying in Illinois, SIUE offers a path that won't leave them drowning in debt, even if it won't match the earnings of the state's top-tier programs.