Music at Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University's music graduates earn notably more than their peers—$34,766 in the first year places them in the 77th percentile nationally and beats the national median by over $8,700. Among Kentucky's 19 music programs, WKU ranks solidly in the middle pack alongside Northern Kentucky and Murray State, though the debt load of $24,317 is right at the state median. The 17% earnings growth to $40,693 by year four is particularly encouraging for a field where many graduates struggle to increase income early in their careers.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 means graduates owe about 8.4 months of their starting salary—manageable territory for a creative field that rarely promises six-figure salaries. What matters here is that WKU's graduates are actually earning enough to service that debt comfortably while their counterparts at many other schools face tighter margins. The university's 97% admission rate and modest SAT scores suggest this isn't about selectivity creating artificially strong outcomes; the music program itself appears to be delivering real value.

For parents considering music programs in Kentucky, WKU represents a relatively safe bet within a challenging field. Your child will graduate with reasonable debt and better-than-average earning potential for music majors. That's about as good as it gets without landing at a conservatory.