Bachelor's · San Francisco, California
Is Music at Academy of Art University worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $35,608
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $208k (likely $177k – $253k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- −$4k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$496k (likely −$607k – −$393k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$527k (likely −$683k – −$356k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 33%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Music at other schools
Other majors at Academy of Art University
- Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's)$87,998
- Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's)$73,398
- Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Master's)$71,613
- Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's)$66,783
- Graphic Communications (Master's)$64,026
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Master's)$62,856
- Computer Software and Media Applications (Associate's)$60,731
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Bachelor's)$60,284
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's)$58,879
- Design and Applied Arts (Master's)$57,636
- Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's)$54,087
- Visual and Performing Arts, General (Master's)$51,874
Music at other schools in California
- Sonoma State University$65,533
- University of Redlands$59,275
- University of California-San Diego$58,071
- Biola University$50,781
- University of California-Berkeley$49,985
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music$49,186
- University of Silicon Valley$48,360
- California State University-Long Beach$47,831
- University of California-Los Angeles$47,779
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$44,910