Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $34,079 at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville come in 21% above the national median of $28,116 for Music programs.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 8.9x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Music's typical career paths, with 47% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 5% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $22,500 represents roughly 8 months of the $34,079 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
At #55 of 240 nationally, this is a top-5% Music program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.