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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in California (With Aid)

46 Ranked Colleges
793 Degrees Awarded
$12,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Music is the 68th most popular major in the country with 11,573 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 1,596 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 793 general music graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 46 colleges that offer a degree in general music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general music programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general music program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Music Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in California (With Aid)

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA General Music Report

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University General Music Report

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN General Music Report

#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Music at California State University - Fullerton

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fresno State General Music Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Music at California State University - Long Beach

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Music Report

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Music at UC Irvine

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Music at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #11, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full California State University - San Bernardino General Music Report

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at SDSU

#15 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Music at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#10 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Music at San Jose State

California State University - Sacramento landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Music Report

#16

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid per year to attend UCR.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Riverside General Music Report

#17

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Music at UCSB

#18

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about General Music at UC Berkeley

California State University - East Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Read full report on General Music at California State University - East Bay

#19 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - San Diego General Music Report

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at CSUSM

#14 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UC Davis General Music Report

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Music at Chico State

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #24, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general music students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree general music students with aid.

Read more about General Music at SFSU

#25

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students with aid per year to attend Sonoma State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Music at Sonoma State University

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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