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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance in California

21 Ranked Colleges
467 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Music Performance is the 103rd most popular major in the country with 7,957 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 856 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 467 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music performance. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music performance programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music performance program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Music Performance Schools

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

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

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

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance in California

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students.

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%.

Read full report on Music Performance at CSUN

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students per year to attend San Jose State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State University Music Performance Report

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about Music Performance at California State University - Long Beach

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music performance students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music Performance at University of California - Los Angeles

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 33 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

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 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at California State University - Fullerton

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music performance students list, SDSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students per year to attend San Diego State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Music Performance Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music performance students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance 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%.

Read more about Music Performance at Cal State LA

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree music performance 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at University of California - Irvine

#9

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students.

Read full report on Music Performance at San Francisco State University

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Music Performance at Sac State

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students per year to attend CSUSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Performance at CSUSB

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Performance at Stan State

#13

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#17 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Performance at University of California - Santa Cruz

#20 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Vanguard University of Southern California is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music performance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music performance students list, Vanguard has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanguard is $20,051 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Vanguard University of Southern California Music Performance Report

#15

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#10 in overall quality

Biola University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Biola University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music performance students list, Biola has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Biola is $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

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%.

Full Biola University Music Performance Report

#16

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#18 in overall quality

Dominican University of California came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. DUofC is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Rafael, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music performance students list, DUofC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DUofC is $32,978 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Music Performance at DUofC

#17

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music performance degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Pacific also made our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $28,929 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Pacific Music Performance Report

#18

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#6 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CalArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CalArts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of the Arts is $50,412 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full CalArts Music Performance Report

#19

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of Redlands is a small school located in Redlands, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $27,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Performance students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Redlands Music Performance Report

#20

Chapman University

Orange, California
#3 in overall quality

Chapman University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $41,350 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Performance at Chapman

#21

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Performance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree music performance students per year to attend University of Southern California.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Music Performance at University of Southern California

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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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