2026 Best Music Education Schools in California
Music Education degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for music education students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Music Education in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the music education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Music Education
Our analysis ranked University Of California Los Angeles the best school in the country for a degree in music education. University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles. About 93% of students finish within six years. About 12 music education degrees were awarded at University Of California Los Angeles in the most recent year. Graduates of the music education program make about $63,833 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $16,097.
Read more about the music education program at University Of California Los Angeles
San Jose State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in music education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a very large public institution. Roughly 69% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 10 music education students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State University in the most recent data year.
Get the full music education details for San Jose State University
Students looking for a strong music education program will find one at University Of The Pacific, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Stockton, University Of The Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 68% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 15 music education students who graduated with this degree at University Of The Pacific in the most recent data year. Students who receive their music education degree from University Of The Pacific earn around $77,022 in the first couple years of their career. University Of The Pacific graduates carry a median of $23,514 in student loans.
More information about a degree in music education from University Of The Pacific
More Music Education Rankings
View All Music Education Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 13 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
