Online Audio and Music Production programs
44 programs — 15 with federal cost data, the rest suppressed for small class sizes and listed after them, led by institutions where this is the main program rather than one of many. Federal figures cover the wider program family, so a row may share its numbers with related degrees.
Data last updated
Specific program
Schools file the same degree under different federal codes — Berklee’s music production sits under “Music, Other”, Academy of Art’s under “Recording Arts”. These groups gather every code a program is actually filed under.
A note on this grouping. It includes a federal catch-all code, which is where several well-known programs in this area are filed — but catch-alls also hold degrees that are not. Check the program name on each row.
Hide for-profit collegesWhat our data shows about for-profit collegesAcross the creative fields on this site, students at private for-profit institutions borrow 27% more than students at public ones ($29,332 against $23,033) and earn 15% less four years after completing ($38,361 against $45,110).The combined effect is severe. Median debt at a for-profit equals 70% of a graduate’s annual earnings, against 47% at a public institution. And 10% of for-profit programs leave graduates owing more than they earn in a year — against 1% of public ones. Ten times the rate.This is a pattern across 212 for-profit programs, not a handful of outliers, and it holds in every creative field we cover. It does not mean no for-profit program is worth taking: some appear high in our best-value rankings, and this filter hides those too. It means the odds are materially worse, and the burden of proof sits with the school.Figures are medians computed from the College Scorecard and IPEDS data behind every table on this site.
| Institution | Programcredential and delivery | at completion | 4 yrs after | Median federal loan debt at completion, divided by median earnings four years later. It answers a single question: how much of one year’s income do you owe on the day you finish?Below 50% is generally considered manageable. Above 100% means graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and repayment on a standard ten-year plan starts to consume a serious share of income.Debt covers federal loans only, so real ratios are often worse. Both figures are medians — half of graduates fall on the wrong side of each. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University Professional ProgramsMA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | $25,500 | $60,974 | 42% |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityKY · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | $19,315 | $37,673 | 51% |
| Colorado State University-Fort CollinsCO · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully online | $40,506 | $57,772 | 70% |
| North Dakota State University-Main CampusND · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | — | $45,578 | — |
| Snow CollegeUT · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | — | $33,705 | — |
| Dallas CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music TechnologyMusic Theory and CompositionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | — | $48,378 | — |
| Dallas CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralUndergraduate certificate · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music TechnologyMusic Theory and CompositionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | — | $29,373 | — |
| Ohio University-Main CampusOH · PublicRequest information → | Music PedagogyMaster’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic Theory and CompositionConductingMusic History, Literature, and TheoryKeyboard InstrumentsVoice and OperaMusic TechnologyThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | — | $50,365 | — |
| Rider UniversityNJ · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music PedagogyMaster’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Voice and OperaMusic History, Literature, and TheoryConductingMusic, GeneralMusic Theory and CompositionKeyboard InstrumentsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $41,000 | $45,928 | 89% |
| Western Michigan UniversityMI · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic TechnologyVoice and OperaJazz/Jazz StudiesMusic Theory and CompositionConductingKeyboard InstrumentsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $27,000 | $36,254 | 74% |
| Western Michigan UniversityMI · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic TechnologyVoice and OperaJazz/Jazz StudiesMusic Theory and CompositionConductingKeyboard InstrumentsThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | — | $33,453 | — |
| Rutgers University-New BrunswickNJ · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $41,000 | — | — |
| Boston UniversityMA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic Theory and CompositionMusicology and EthnomusicologyKeyboard InstrumentsVoice and OperaThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $39,771 | $43,249 | 92% |
| Berklee College of MusicMA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music PedagogyBachelor’s degree · Fully onlineOffers: Music Education (BM) · Music Therapy (BM) · Professional Music (BM) · Black Music and Culture (BM)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic, OtherMusic Theory and CompositionConductingThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $23,392 | $38,617 | 61% |
| Berklee College of MusicMA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music PedagogyMaster’s degree · Online or on campusOffers: Music Education (BM) · Music Therapy (BM) · Professional Music (BM) · Black Music and Culture (BM)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic, OtherMusic Theory and CompositionConductingThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $41,000 | $55,467 | 74% |
| College of San MateoCA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralUndergraduate certificate · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| College of the SiskiyousCA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Community College of Allegheny CountyPA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| East Mississippi Community CollegeMS · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Eastern Illinois UniversityIL · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityKY · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Faulkner UniversityAL · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Itawamba Community CollegeMS · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Jacksonville State UniversityAL · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Kansas State UniversityKS · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Los Angeles Harbor CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralUndergraduate certificate · Online or on campus | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Los Angeles Valley CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Mt San Antonio CollegeCA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralUndergraduate certificate · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Northeastern UniversityMA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Online or on campus | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Nova Southeastern UniversityFL · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Panola CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralUndergraduate certificate · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Panola CollegeTX · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Saint Augustine's UniversityNC · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Snow CollegeUT · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Texas CollegeTX · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Fully online | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| University of Missouri-ColumbiaMO · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music PedagogyJazz/Jazz StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| University of West GeorgiaGA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Jazz/Jazz StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| University of Nebraska at OmahaNE · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Lancaster Bible CollegePA · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralBachelor’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Washington State UniversityWA · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic Theory and CompositionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Rowan UniversityNJ · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music TechnologyMusic Performance, GeneralJazz/Jazz StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| University of IdahoID · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Music Performance, GeneralMusic Theory and CompositionVoice and OperaThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community CollegeMS · PublicRequest information → | Music, GeneralAssociate degree · Fully onlineWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Voice and OperaThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
| University of MobileAL · Private nonprofitRequest information → | Music, GeneralMaster’s degree · Online or on campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Voice and OperaMusic TechnologyMusic Performance, GeneralThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | Not reported | Not reported | — |
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
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One thing these figures cannot tell you
Earnings and debt are reported by the federal government at a four-digit program level, so a figure shown against “Audio and Music Production” covers every related program at that institution rather than one named degree. That pooling also spans delivery: where a school runs the same credential both online and on campus, the federal figures combine both sets of students. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. Full methodology.