In recent decades, the music industry has increased its demand for musicians with the ability to improvise and adapt to diverse performance environments. However, the inclusion of improvisation skills training varies significantly across higher music education institutions. Notably, jazz and modern music schools place a heavy emphasis on improvisation, while classical music conservatories have traditionally excluded such training from their curricula, leading to a disconnection between classical education and the realities of the modern music profession. While there is significant research in the current literature on the benefits of improvisation in music education generally, there is a dearth of studies that focus specifically on the connection between improvisation and students’ career paths. This study explores the presence or absence of improvisation in the curricula across eight music colleges and conservatories in the United States and its implications on students’ creative development and career outcomes. Two cohorts are considered in this study: students who graduated from jazz and modern music programs, and those who received classical training. The study first examines the course syllabi, program descriptions, and institutional policies related to improvisation in the schools attended by both cohorts. Then, it analyzes results from structured survey questionnaires and interviews through interpretive phenomenological analysis with members of the cohorts to identify patterns between their educational experience with improvisation and their career path. Preliminary results indicate that students without improvisation training report higher levels of difficulty in securing post-graduate employment in the music industry. Graduates with experience improvising, particularly in jazz and modern styles, recorded a higher frequency of performance opportunities. Both groups attributed their exposure to improvisation training to their self-confidence as musicians and perceived employability. Insights gained from this study can directly inform the development of curricula that better balance traditional skills with improvisation and other contemporary musical practices. Creating a more integrated curriculum is crucial for designing education programs that are not only academically rigorous but also relevant and responsive to the 21st century music profession.