Musicat Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Graduates earn $38,277/yr in their first year — about 36.0% above the national Music average. Base-case 10-year earnings $517K; scenarios range from $477K to $519K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
The strong earning potential for CSU Music graduates reflects a unique blend of factors, particularly the vibrant Colorado Front Range economy. Unlike many regions, Fort Collins and the wider Denver metro area offer a robust job market for arts professionals, driven by growing school districts needing music educators, a flourishing live music scene, and demand for sound engineers in local production houses and venues. CSU's well-established reputation within the state likely provides direct pipelines into these roles. You’ll find opportunities not just in traditional performance, but also teaching in Poudre School District, contributing to local festivals, or even working with the many breweries and businesses that sponsor arts events. To maximize your outcome, actively cultivate a diverse skill set—combining performance with teaching credentials or sound technology—and relentlessly network within Colorado's expansive arts and education communities.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Colorado State University-Fort Collins's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Music
How Colorado State University-Fort Collins stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Music offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Music trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Music at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Music at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
A score of 43/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Music. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Music careers?
With 47% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $477,147 in decade earnings vs $519,450 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.