Music at Stevens Institute of Technology

A music degree from Stevens—an engineering-focused institution where the median SAT is 1447—produces first-year earnings of just $21,623, roughly $5,000 below both state and national medians for music programs. Among New Jersey's 20 music programs, this ranks in the bottom quartile, trailing Rutgers campuses by over $15,000 and even Montclair State by $6,000. That's a surprising outcome for a selective technical university where students are clearly academically capable.

The $27,000 debt load is actually slightly above typical for music programs, though not dramatically so. What makes this harder to justify is the earning trajectory: you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.25 in year one, meaning your child would owe more than they earn annually. Music degrees rarely promise high initial salaries, but starting $5,000 behind peers at other New Jersey schools matters when every dollar counts toward loan payments.

The critical caveat: fewer than 30 students are in this dataset, so these numbers could swing significantly with different cohorts. But Stevens isn't known for music—it's known for engineering and technology. If your child is serious about music, they'd likely find better instruction, networks, and outcomes at institutions where music is a core program strength. The combination of below-average earnings and above-average debt at a school without music specialization raises real questions about fit and return on investment.