There has been growing concern about the decreasing number of undergraduates studying organ. The American Guild of Organists has created a number of initiatives aimed at increasing enrollment, including Pipe Organ Encounters. But in order to address this issue more effectively, information is needed about the current undergraduate organ population and the criteria these students use to make choices about undergraduate study.

To this end, the author developed a survey that investigated salient aspects of undergraduate organ study: pre-university exposure to the instrument, factors involved in selection of performance institution, and future educational and career goals. This survey was mailed to 282 subjects in the continental US between February and April 2007, and usable responses were returned from 70.57% of the sample.

The results of the survey concern the demographic population of organ students, the criteria for their choice of college or university, and their professional aspirations. This study found that a relatively narrow gender/ethnic profile characterizes the majority of undergraduates studying organ between 2006–2007. Most of these students chose an institution in their home state and either anticipated graduate work in music or immediate employment as a church musician. These results suggest that greater interest in organ playing could be achieved by widening recruitment efforts to women and non-Caucasians as well as focusing on high-school students within the state of the educational institution. It is hoped that this study will help organist educators to train a new generation to play the many fine instruments that are being built in the US.