2023 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
62
Ranked Colleges
4,440
Degrees Awarded
$8,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 25,910 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $27,160 and had an average of $24,560 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 4,440 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,019 and $23,227 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 62 colleges that offered a degree in music. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music programs and 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 music program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 114 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on Music at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 54 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at UC Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UW Seattle Music Report
Out of the 62 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 89 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,590 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Cal State Fullerton
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,887 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Music at Cal State LA
University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full USC Music Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 129 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. 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 full report on Music at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music at University of California - Irvine
California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 52 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,859 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at California State University - Fresno
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 174 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUN Music Report
University of California - San Diego ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at UCSD
Central Washington University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
CWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $10,796 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full CWU Music Report
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 21 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at University of California - Davis
University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNLV is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $8,991 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 Nevada - Las Vegas Music Report
San Diego State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 71 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,169 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at SDSU
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,163 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Sac State
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read more about Music at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,810 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full UCR Music Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Read full report on Music at California State University - Stanislaus
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 14 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,985 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national 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 at CSUSB
San Jose State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,158 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Read full report on Music at San Jose State
University of Oregon came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 105 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k list, UO has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $13,666 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at UO
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 8 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $12,173 for Far Western US Region Music students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Washington State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $7,689 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at Wazzu
With a ranking of #25, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WWU is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 22 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $9,979 for far western us region music students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Music at WWU
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