by our College Data Analytics TeamMusic Education was the 151st most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 4,761 degrees in this year alone. This represents a small change of only -0.3% from the prior year's total of 4,774 music teacher education degrees awarded.
Our 2023 Best Music Education Schools ranking analyzes 394 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for music education students. Explore this or one of our many other custom music teacher education rankings further below.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Talking to others to convey information effectively is a required skill for music teacher education majors. Required skills include teaching others how to do something and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. In addition to these basic music education program qualifications, to serve in some music teacher education careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
Music Teacher Education degree levels vary. Music Education programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest music teacher education degree you can get. Music Education programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to music teacher education, with approximately 32.7% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for music teacher education workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 34.6% |
| Master’s Degree | 28.0% |
| Doctoral Degree | 25.6% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 7.5% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 2.1% |
About 57.7% of workers in careers related to music teacher education obtain at least master's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in music education have received.
The education level required is different depending on the music teacher education career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your music teacher education degree? Music Education careers are expected to grow 7.9% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to music education.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 1,095,500 | 7.5% |
| Middle School Teachers | 677,700 | 7.5% |
| Art, Drama, and Music Professors | 137,200 | 12.0% |
| Education Professors | 82,200 | 10.3% |
As you might expect, salaries for music teacher education graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for music education graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers music teacher education grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Professors | $82,560 |
| Education Professors | $73,680 |
| High School Teachers | $64,340 |
| Middle School Teachers | $62,030 |
With over 845 different music teacher education degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased music teacher education school rankings to help you with this.
One of 37 majors within the Teacher Education Subject Specific area of study, Music Education has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physical Education Teaching & Coaching | 8,121 |
| Reading Teacher Education | 6,490 |
| Mathematics Education | 3,395 |
| English & Language Arts Education | 3,113 |
| Other Teacher Education & Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 2,335 |
Image Credit: By Aparajita Datta under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
