2023 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in California
38
Ranked Colleges
3,612
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 California, there were 3,612 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,084 and $22,049 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 38 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music 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 Schools
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 California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in California
Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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 California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,423 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 57 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,700 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Music Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 89 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,017 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Music Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 129 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $11,189 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at CSULB
University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 42 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at UC Irvine
California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 52 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,030 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music at Fresno State
With a ranking of #8, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 182 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $22,826 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Full USC Music Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 174 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at California State University - Northridge
University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 21 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at UC Davis
University of California - San Diego came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 27 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,310 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Music Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,126 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.
Sac State also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $12,602 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Music at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 14 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $9,854 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Music Report
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 20 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,976 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Stan State Music Report
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $14,583 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Music at University of California - Santa Barbara
San Diego State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 more about Music at SDSU
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s music degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $6,333 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Music Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 25 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Music Report
San Jose State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 52 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,338 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at San Jose State
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 39 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $15,958 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 low undergrad 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 Music at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at California State University - East Bay
With a ranking of #23, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $16,065 for california music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Full San Francisco State University Music Report
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 48 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $48-$75k list, Chico State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,738 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Music at Chico State
San Diego Mesa College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego Mesa College is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $8,272 for California Music students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full San Diego Mesa College Music Report
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