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Music at The New School

New York, NY · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $12,109/yr (-57% vs median)

AI Risk High (47% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (101,600 openings/yr)

ROI 1.9x earnings multiple

Ranked #238 of 240 Music programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Music graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$423K	$430K	$410K
Earnings Multiple	1.9x	1.9x	1.8x
Probability of Field Employment	35%	31%	24%
DegreeOutlook Score	13	13	11

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)

$225,544

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$221,436

2% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$23,000

22.8 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$23,875

97% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $12,109 place The New School below the $28,116 national median for Music — worth weighing against tuition and cost of living.

The financial case is thin at 1.9x — decade earnings barely exceed the cost of attendance. The value proposition here is driven by factors beyond pure ROI.

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 3% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $23,000 against $12,109/yr in first-year earnings means roughly 1.9 years of salary goes to loan repayment. That's a heavy but not crushing debt load.

Ranked #238 of 240 Music programs, The New School falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $23,875 show a 97% jump from the $12,109 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

About The New School

A 63% admission rate makes The New School accessible to a wide range of qualified students, with a mid-sized student body of 6,819 in New York, NY.

See all programs and financial aid at The New School →

Top Career Paths

Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190/yr

Sound engineering technicians $66,430/yr

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580/yr

View all 6 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Music at Other Schools

Other Majors at The New School

Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →