Musicat The New School
Graduates earn $12,109/yr in their first year — about 57.0% below the national Music average. Base-case 10-year earnings $430K; scenarios range from $410K to $423K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at The New School
The New School's music program, situated in the competitive New York City arts scene, prepares you for a challenging but potentially rewarding path where artistic merit often precedes financial stability. The lower earnings reflect the highly fragmented nature of the modern music industry; many graduates piece together income from performing, teaching, composing, or sound engineering, rather than securing a single, high-paying traditional job right out of school. While the program excels at fostering creative talent, the initial years require significant hustle and networking in a demanding, high-cost environment. The high AI risk further emphasizes the need for unique human creativity and adaptability in a rapidly evolving field. To thrive, you'll need to cultivate a strong entrepreneurial mindset, actively build your professional network, and consider diversifying your skills beyond pure performance or composition early in your career.
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 The New School'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 The New School stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at The New School
Other highest-scoring programs offered at The New School, 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 The New School
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Music at The New School?
A score of 13/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Music. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Is Music at The New School worth the student debt?
Median debt of $23,000 against $12,109/yr starting salary means roughly 1.9 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 $410,126 in decade earnings vs $422,938 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Music from The New School?
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.