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Music at Western Carolina University

If you plan to study Music, take a look at what Western Carolina University. Get started with the following essential facts.

Western Carolina University is located in Cullowhee, NC.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 46 music degrees were granted at Western Carolina University.

Studying Online at Western Carolina University

Many students take online classes at Western Carolina University. Among 11,686 students, 2,836 (24%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 3,047 (26%) took at least some classes online.

Music Rankings at Western Carolina University

Rankings can help you compare Western Carolina University’s Music program against other schools offering the same major.

Bachelor’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	North Carolina	#3 of 7
Best Value	North Carolina	#3 of 7
Best Value	Southeast (Region)	#26 of 99
Best Schools (Quality)	Southeast (Region)	#28 of 99
Best Value	Nationwide	#103 of 421
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#147 of 423

Earnings for Music Graduates from Western Carolina University

Graduates of Western Carolina University’s Music program earn the following amounts (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$23,792
2 years	$36,368
3 years	$39,695
4 years	$41,120
5 years	$48,930

How does this compare to the school overall? At the four-year mark, Music graduates from Western Carolina University report median earnings of $41,120, compared with $52,554 for all Western Carolina University graduates — about 22% lower than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Typical debt at graduation for Music graduates from Western Carolina University is $27,000.

Student Demographics & Diversity

The following sections describe the composition of Music graduates at Western Carolina University, broken down by degree level.

Across all degree levels, Music graduates at Western Carolina University are 39% women (18) and 61% men (28).

Music Bachelor’s Program at Western Carolina University

Of the 46 bachelor’s music graduates at Western Carolina University, 39% were women (18) and 61% were men (28).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Music bachelor’s degree recipients at Western Carolina University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	34
Hispanic / Latino	5
Black / African American	3
Two or More Races	1
International (Nonresident)	1
Unknown	2

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 20% of Music bachelor’s degree recipients at Western Carolina University, lower than the national average of 34%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Music Concentrations at Western Carolina University

The Music program at Western Carolina University includes the following sub-specializations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Music	11
Music Performance	35

Top-Paying Careers for Music Graduates

Graduates of the Music program at Western Carolina University pursue many career paths. Below are the highest-paying careers for Music majors, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Musicians and Singers	$96,571
Disc Jockeys, Except Radio	$87,328
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$77,927
Music Directors and Composers	$66,915
Sound Engineering Technicians	$66,427
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	$46,983

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.