56%
Professional Careers
More likely to hold managerial or professional roles
+38%
Higher Earnings
Significant boost in weekly earnings over career
2x
Degree Completion
More likely to complete advanced degrees
40
Leaders by Age 40
Higher aspirations for community leadership
Workforce Outcomes
The Career Advantage
Side-by-side comparison of workforce outcomes
Professional Roles
Without:
41
%
With:
56
%
Hourly Workers
Without:
59
%
With:
45
%
Manual Labor
Without:
25
%
With:
16
%
Statistical significance at p < 0.001 level
21st Century Skills
Skills That Transfer
Music education builds foundational skills for success in any field
Cognitive
Analytical thinking
Focus & attention
Problem solving
Creative intelligence
Emotional
Self-expression
Confidence
Stress resilience
Adaptability
Social
Empathy
Collaboration
Leadership
Strong networks
Educational Impact
Higher Degrees,
Brighter Futures
Students with music education are significantly more likely to pursue and complete higher education at every level.
Associate's Degrees
Higher Rate
Bachelor's Degrees
Higher Rate
Master's & Professional
Higher Rate
Given we found positive associations in datasets not designed for our questions, we anticipate even more conclusive evidence with better data as we look to 2026 research.
NORC Research Team
University of Chicago
Long-Term Success
Outcomes That Last
Students with music education are significantly more likely to achieve the following indicators of success.
Multiple Income
More diversified income streams
Professional Roles
56% in managerial/professional occupations
Higher Earnings
Consistently higher weekly earnings
Retirement Plans
More likely to have financial planning in place
Boss by 40
Higher aspirations for management roles
Leadership by 40
More likely to expect becoming community leaders