# Western Kentucky University: Music (bachelor's)

Bowling Green, KY. IPEDS 157951, CIP 50.09. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-kentucky-university/majors/music

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $34,766
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $38,377 (U.S. median for this major: $43,753 across 263 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $24,317 (U.S. median $26,000)
- Rank in KY: 5 of 7 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the KY median for this major (7 colleges, $39,168): -$791
- Versus the U.S. median: -$5,376

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.28 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $38,377 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,087 | $30,332 | 6.2 years |
| 30-48k | $6,871 | $29,408 | 6.0 years |
| 48-75k | $9,765 | $41,794 | 8.6 years |
| 75-110k | $14,049 | $60,130 | 12.4 years |
| 110k+ | $17,653 | $75,555 | 15.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Music at KY colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Kentucky University | $47,343 | $27,357 | $8,191 | 52% |
| Morehead State University | $40,768 | $25,000 | $9,793 | 52% |
| University of Kentucky | $39,746 | $23,000 | $18,851 | 71% |
| University of Louisville | $39,168 | $20,745 | $17,988 | 61% |
| Western Kentucky University | $38,377 | $24,317 | $10,990 | 56% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | $37,673 | $20,379 | $11,040 | 50% |
| Murray State University | $36,697 | $26,731 | $9,096 | 61% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $61,520 Bowling Green, KY, $61,560 KY, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Music Directors and Composers (SOC 27-2041): median wage not reported Bowling Green, KY, not reported KY, $73,710 U.S.; U.S. jobs 1.2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).