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Music at Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
17 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
17
Optimistic
17
Base Case
12
Pessimistic
Earnings $19,943/yr (-29% vs median)
AI Risk High (47% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,600 openings/yr)
ROI 3.5x earnings multiple
Ranked #223 of 240 Music programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Music graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $449K $453K $428K
Earnings Multiple 3.4x 3.5x 3.3x
Probability of Field Employment 35% 31% 24%
DegreeOutlook Score 17 17 12

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$130,080
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$107,152
18% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$25,625
15.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$32,406
62% growth from Year 1

About Columbia College Chicago

A 91% acceptance rate means Columbia College Chicago is accessible to most applicants, enrolling 6,294 students in Chicago, IL. With 43% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at Columbia College Chicago →

Top Career Paths

Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190/yr
Sound engineering technicians $66,430/yr
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580/yr
View all 6 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 240 schools offering Music →

Music at Other Schools

Sam Houston State University ($59,926) The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ($56,373) Texas A & M University-Kingsville ($56,072) The University of Texas at El Paso ($56,062) University of Houston ($52,799) Texas A & M University-Commerce ($52,282) Texas State University ($51,158) West Texas A & M University ($50,881)

Other Majors at Columbia College Chicago

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($39,794) Marketing ($36,386) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($34,798) American Sign Language ($33,775) Journalism ($31,369) Design and Applied Arts ($29,630) Graphic Communications ($26,309) Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies ($25,060)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Music trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Music at Columbia College Chicago?
A score of 17/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Music. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Is Music at Columbia College Chicago worth the student debt?
Median debt of $25,625 against $19,943/yr starting salary means roughly 1.3 years of earnings go to repayment. That's above average — financial aid and loan terms matter here.
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 $427,925 in decade earnings vs $448,569 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Music from Columbia College Chicago?
First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →