MAJORS · 8 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a music degree worth it?
Part of Visual Arts and Music — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, no — the mean lifetime ROI is −$100,819, by FREOPP’s own published number. The honest details matter.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
−$100,819
across 356 bachelor’s programs · 17,592 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
−$144K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$360K ⟷ +$90K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
70%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
34
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
−$128K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$124K
Questions
- Is a music degree worth it?
- On average no — across 356 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Music is −$100,819 and the median is −$143,816. 70% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$359,612 and +$89,745.
- How long until a music degree pays off?
- Among Music programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 34 (FREOPP 2021). 70% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a music major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Music graduates span −$359,612 to +$89,745 — a +$449K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Music: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/music