U.S. median for this major: $43,753.
College Scorecard field of study; 29 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 68% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $61,212. College Scorecard.
CIM Music: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses CIM's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,782 | $100,360 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $29,767 | $125,617 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $16,884 | $71,250 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $21,212 | $89,515 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $32,629 | $137,694 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Music graduates 4 years after graduating ($37,656) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $2,218 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Music at Ohio colleges
Every Ohio college we cover that reports Music graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State University | $51,310 | $27,000 | $17,339 | 88% |
| 2 | Miami University-Oxford | $50,680 | $27,000 | $28,384 | 80% |
| 3 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | $44,593 | $27,000 | $3,925 | 21% |
| 4 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus | $44,593 | $27,000 | $5,755 | 14% |
| 5 | Ohio University-Southern Campusbachelor's & associate | $44,593 | $27,000 | $5,993 | 21% |
| 6 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campusbachelor's & associate | $44,593 | $27,000 | $5,650 | 14% |
| 7 | Ohio University | $44,593 | $27,000 | $21,637 | 65% |
| 8 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus | $44,593 | $27,000 | $5,746 | 22% |
| 9 | Bowling Green State University | $44,037 | $27,000 | $24,022 | 64% |
| 10 | Wright State University | $43,884 | — | $15,415 | 42% |
| 11 | Oberlin College | $43,343 | $26,200 | $38,645 | 81% |
| 12 | Kent State University at Starkmostly 2-year | $43,222 | $28,000 | $10,897 | 37% |
| 13 | Kent State University at Kent | $43,222 | $28,000 | $20,787 | 64% |
| 14 | Capital University | $43,125 | $27,000 | $22,576 | 60% |
| 15 | Baldwin Wallace University | $37,682 | $27,000 | $27,603 | 67% |
| 16 | Cleveland Institute of Music | $37,656 | $25,500 | $28,226 | 72% |
| 17 | Cleveland State University | $29,842 | $30,000 | $14,764 | 51% |
31 more Ohio colleges offer Music but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Music graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Music Directors and Composers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at CIM, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About CIM
- Acceptance rate: 47% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 72% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $32,641
- Full cost breakdown · all 1 majors · overview
CIM Music questions
How much do CIM Music graduates earn?
Music graduates of Cleveland Institute of Music earn a median $37,656 four years after graduating. The U.S. median for Music graduates across 263 colleges is $43,753.
How much debt do CIM Music graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Music graduates of Cleveland Institute of Music is $25,500, about 68% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is CIM a good school for Music in Ohio?
On pay, Music graduates of Cleveland Institute of Music earn $37,656 four years out, $6,381 below the median for the same major across 17 Ohio colleges ($44,037) and $6,097 below the U.S. median ($43,753). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does CIM rank for Music in Ohio?
Of 17 Ohio colleges reporting Music graduate earnings, Cleveland Institute of Music ranks 16th; among the 14 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 13th. The highest is Ohio State University at $51,310.
What jobs do Music graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $79,610 in the Cleveland, OH area and $72,040 nationally. Others include music directors and composers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Cleveland Institute of Music Music: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cleveland-institute-of-music/majors/music (College Scorecard and BLS data).