2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in California
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 11,573 people earned their degree in general music, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States.
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.
This year’s “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 46 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general music programs, but they also cost less that 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.
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More Ways to Rank General Music Schools
The general music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Music in California
Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #1 spot on the list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on General Music at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 63 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general music students list, CSUN has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend CSUN.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Read more about General Music at California State University - Northridge
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general music students list, San Jose State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
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 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend CSULB.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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 list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend Fresno State.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Music at California State University - Fresno
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general music students list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.
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%.
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend UCLA.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
California State University - Chico ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fullerton came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
With a ranking of #10, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students 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 full report on General Music at Sonoma State University
With a ranking of #11, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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.
It costs about $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
Read more about General Music at California State University - East Bay
California State University - San Marcos came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
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 more about General Music at California State University - San Marcos
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.
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 a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
San Diego State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s general music degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. 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 estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 California State University - Los Angeles General Music Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
San Francisco State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
Read full report on General Music at San Francisco State University
California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sac State 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #19. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 33 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.
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 1.7% 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%.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.
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
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #21. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general music degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree general music students.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
University of California - San Diego came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree general music students per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
University of California - Davis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s general music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend CSUDH.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #25. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s general music degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Music students per year to attend UCR.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
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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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