# Western Washington University: Music (bachelor's)

Bellingham, WA. IPEDS 237011, CIP 50.09. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-washington-university/majors/music

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $15,834
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $38,858 (U.S. median for this major: $43,753 across 263 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $20,055 (U.S. median $26,000)
- Rank in WA: 4 of 5 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the WA median for this major (5 colleges, $41,181): -$2,323
- Versus the U.S. median: -$4,895

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.43 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $38,858 minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $12,915 | $57,213 | no earnings gain |
| 30-48k | $14,147 | $62,671 | no earnings gain |
| 48-75k | $17,539 | $77,698 | no earnings gain |
| 75-110k | $24,301 | $107,653 | no earnings gain |
| 110k+ | $27,984 | $123,969 | no earnings gain |

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

## Music at WA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Washington University | $51,008 | $26,000 | $18,476 | 54% |
| University of Puget Sound | $41,207 | $27,000 | $38,394 | 68% |
| Washington State University | $41,181 | $24,503 | $14,971 | 61% |
| Western Washington University | $38,858 | $20,055 | $21,193 | 65% |
| Northwest University | $37,112 | $19,500 | $22,288 | 71% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $102,160 Bellingham, WA, $102,670 WA, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Music Directors and Composers (SOC 27-2041): median wage not reported Bellingham, WA, $75,060 WA, $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).