Musicology and Ethnomusicology Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Musicology and Ethnomusicology — headline outcomes are in the stats below. Median in-state published tuition is about $8,845.
Key Statistics
Musicology and Ethnomusicology: what the data shows
Common questions about musicology and ethnomusicology degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a musicology and ethnomusicology degree?
A Musicology and Ethnomusicology program is classified under NCES CIP 50.0905 in the Music field family (50.09).
A program that focuses on the systematic study of the forms and methods of music art, and the functions of music, in Western and non-Western societies and cultures. Includes instruction in music theory, musicological research methods, and studies of specific cultural styles such as jazz, folk music, rock, ethnic musical traditions, and the music of non-Western cultures
IPEDS counted 43 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of musicology and ethnomusicology degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 50.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Brass Instruments (CIP 50.0914)
- Conducting (CIP 50.0906)
- Jazz/Jazz Studies (CIP 50.0910)
- Keyboard Instruments (CIP 50.0907)
- Music History, Literature, and Theory (CIP 50.0902)
- Music Pedagogy (CIP 50.0912)
- Music Performance, General (CIP 50.0903)
- Music Technology (CIP 50.0913)
- Music Theory and Composition (CIP 50.0904)
- Music, General (CIP 50.0901)
- Percussion Instruments (CIP 50.0916)
- Sound Arts (CIP 50.0917)
- Stringed Instruments (CIP 50.0911)
- Voice and Opera (CIP 50.0908)
- Woodwind Instruments (CIP 50.0915)
How long does it take to get a musicology and ethnomusicology degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0905 in our file:
- 43 Bachelor's (44.8% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 53 Master's (55.2% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
Is a musicology and ethnomusicology degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Music bachelor's program family: median debt $41,145, median earnings $42,892 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.58.
About 5.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,845 and median net price is $17,043.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Musicology and Ethnomusicology and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,845 Median In-State Public
$40,150 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Musicology and Ethnomusicology majors are, on average, $8,845 for in-state public colleges, and $40,150 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Musicology and Ethnomusicology programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Musicology and Ethnomusicology from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Musicology and Ethnomusicology.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Musicology and Ethnomusicology programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 3 | Compton College | CA | $1,142 |
| 4 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
| 5 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Musicology and Ethnomusicology programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 3 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Musicology and Ethnomusicology programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Musicology and Ethnomusicology programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Musicology and Ethnomusicology is in CA (23 completions). That state represents about 53.5% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is TN (0.01% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 23 | 53.5% | 0.01% |
| TN | 9 | 20.9% | 0.01% |
| WA | 3 | 7.0% | 0.00% |
| CO | 2 | 4.7% | 0.00% |
| RI | 2 | 4.7% | 0.01% |
| VA | 2 | 4.7% | 0.00% |
| IL | 1 | 2.3% | 0.00% |
| VT | 1 | 2.3% | 0.01% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 50.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Brass Instruments CIP 50.0914
- Conducting CIP 50.0906
- Jazz/Jazz Studies CIP 50.0910
- Keyboard Instruments CIP 50.0907
- Music History, Literature, and Theory CIP 50.0902
- Music Pedagogy CIP 50.0912
- Music Performance, General CIP 50.0903
- Music Technology CIP 50.0913
- Music Theory and Composition CIP 50.0904
- Music, General CIP 50.0901
- Percussion Instruments CIP 50.0916
- Sound Arts CIP 50.0917
- Stringed Instruments CIP 50.0911
- Voice and Opera CIP 50.0908
- Woodwind Instruments CIP 50.0915
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0905 in the survey year used in our extract (96 total across levels below).
- 43 Bachelor's (44.8% of IPEDS total)
- 53 Master's (55.2% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Music CIP family (55 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Musicology and Ethnomusicology graduate.
- $41,145 median federal loan debt among completers
- $42,892 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.58 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$N/A Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Musicology and Ethnomusicology majors is $N/A.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Musicology and Ethnomusicology majors.
Occupations by Share
N/A 2023 Workforce
The number of Musicology and Ethnomusicology graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Musicology and Ethnomusicology by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Musicology and Ethnomusicology in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Musicology and Ethnomusicology.
Age distribution for Musicology and Ethnomusicology degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
43 Total Degrees Awarded
21 Male (48.84%)
22 Female (51.16%)
Gender distribution of Musicology and Ethnomusicology degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
21 White (48.84%)
7 Hispanic or Latino (16.28%)
5 Asian (11.63%)
2 Black or African American (4.65%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Musicology and Ethnomusicology degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Musicology and Ethnomusicology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Musicology and Ethnomusicology.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Musicology and Ethnomusicology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Musicology and Ethnomusicology majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Musicology and Ethnomusicology majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Musicology and Ethnomusicology majors.
About
A program that focuses on the systematic study of the forms and methods of music art, and the functions of music, in Western and non-Western societies and cultures. Includes instruction in music theory, musicological research methods, and studies of specific cultural styles such as jazz, folk music, rock, ethnic musical traditions, and the music of non-Western cultures
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Musicology and Ethnomusicology.
CIP Code
50.0905 - Musicology and Ethnomusicology
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $41,145 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $42,892, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.58. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Musicology and Ethnomusicology graduate.
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,845 in-state at public colleges and $40,150 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.