Music: Sam Houston State University vs Stephen F Austin State University

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
15.0x
$36,912 tuition
12.3x
$42,400 tuition
Out-of-State
7.3x
$76,080 tuition
6.3x
$82,720 tuition
$553,247 10-yr earnings · Public
$523,320 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Sam Houston State University Stephen F Austin State University
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 15.0x 12.3x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.3x 6.3x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $36,912 $42,400
Year 1 Earnings $59,926 $47,318
10-Year Earnings $553K $523K
Median Debt $25,630 $26,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 5.1 months 6.6 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 53/100 47/100
Acceptance Rate 85.4% 88.2%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (47% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Music graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Music graduates.

Sam Houston State University Stephen F Austin State University
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $36,912 $42,400
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $76,080 $82,720
10-Year Projected Earnings $553K $523K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 15.0x 12.3x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.3x 6.3x
5-Year Salary Growth +-21% +21%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Music (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Sam Houston State University Stephen F Austin State University
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $560K $553K $505K $527K $523K $482K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 15.2x 15.0x 13.7x 12.4x 12.3x 11.4x
DegreeWorth Score 54 53 45 48 47 37

For the full AI analysis of Music career paths, see the Sam Houston State University or Stephen F Austin State University program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Music graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$5,488
Sam Houston State University saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$12,608/yr
Sam Houston State University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
15.0x / 12.3x
Out-of-state: 7.3x / 6.3x

Career Paths

Music graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190 9,000 +1.7% 44%
Sound engineering technicians $66,430 1,200 -1.7% 43%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580 66,200 -1.6% 33%
Music directors and composers $63,670 4,300 -0.3% 71%
Musicians and singers N/A 19,400 +1.1% 41%
Disc jockeys, except radio N/A 1,500 +3.8% 53%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

Explore Each Program

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Music: Sam Houston State University or Stephen F Austin State University?
Sam Houston State University scores 53/100 while Stephen F Austin State University scores 47/100. Sam Houston State University has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Music?
Sam Houston State University has an in-state earnings multiple of 15.0x vs Stephen F Austin State University's 12.3x. That means Sam Houston State University grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do Sam Houston State University and Stephen F Austin State University compare on Music earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $59,926 at Sam Houston State University vs $47,318 at Stephen F Austin State University. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $553,247 vs $523,320 — a difference of $29,927.
How much does Music cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $36,912 at Sam Houston State University and $42,400 at Stephen F Austin State University. Median debt at graduation is $25,630 vs $26,000. Both programs lead to the same Music career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.