Music at Cornish College of the Arts

Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
15 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
15
Optimistic
15
Base Case
11
Pessimistic
Earnings $18,453/yr (-34% vs median)
AI Risk High (47% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,600 openings/yr)
ROI 2.6x earnings multiple
Ranked #232 of 240 Music programs

Program Analysis

Your path from Cornish Music, while deeply fulfilling artistically, places you in a financial landscape common to highly competitive creative fields. The initial earnings reflect the reality of building a career where steady, high-paying roles in performance, composition, or even teaching are often scarce, especially in your early years. Graduates frequently forge a "portfolio career," blending performance gigs, private lessons, studio work, or even non-music jobs to support their artistic passion. Seattle's vibrant but competitive arts scene means you'll be vying for opportunities in a high cost-of-living area. The growing impact of AI on creative industries further necessitates adaptability. To thrive, you'll need to cultivate robust entrepreneurial skills, network extensively within the local and national music communities, and be prepared to diversify your income streams beyond traditional artistic roles, perhaps exploring sound design, event production, or arts administration.

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 $415K $423K $404K
Earnings Multiple 2.6x 2.6x 2.5x
Probability of Field Employment 35% 31% 24%
DegreeOutlook Score 15 15 11

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$159,652
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$156,240
2% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$26,500
17.2 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$25,141
36% growth from Year 1

About Cornish College of the Arts

Cornish College of the Arts accepts 70% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, a compact campus enrolling 480 students in Seattle, WA.

See all programs and financial aid at Cornish College of the Arts →

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

Music at Other Schools

Other Majors at Cornish College of the Arts

Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Music at Cornish College of the Arts?
A score of 15/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Music. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Is Music at Cornish College of the Arts worth the student debt?
Median debt of $26,500 against $18,453/yr starting salary means roughly 1.4 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 $404,320 in decade earnings vs $414,572 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Music from Cornish College of the Arts?
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 →