ROI Major

Music at University of Hartford

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Music degree from University of Hartford earn a median salary of $46,883 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,662. The degree typically pays for itself in 12 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$28,969

Typical Career

$46,883

Top Performers

$64,523

Estimated break-even: 12 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$313

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,907. Most students can comfortably afford about a $313 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 19.2%
Educational Services 13.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$40,662

Nominal: $46,883 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

12 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $22,385 $30,970 $41,964
5 Years After Graduation $28,969 $46,883 $64,523
10 Years After Graduation $43,216 $66,690 $89,277

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $46,883 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,883 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $40,662 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the University of Hartford's Music program experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $30,970, rising to $46,883 five years post-graduation and reaching $66,690 after ten years. However, when considering the cost of living in Connecticut, which has a COL index of 1.153 compared to the national average, the purchasing-power-adjusted median earnings five years after graduation drop to approximately $40,661.75, indicating that while earnings grow, the purchasing power may not keep pace with inflation in the region.

The top industries that University of Hartford Music graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), Educational Services (13.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.3%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 12 years, suggesting a significant return on investment over time. However, prospective students should weigh the long-term financial benefits against the initial costs of higher education, particularly in a state with a higher cost of living.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Music degree at University of Hartford stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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