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2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

53 Ranked Colleges
1,553 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 27,047 people earned their degree in music, making the major the 40th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, music graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,639 and had an average of $28,653 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,681 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $20,710 and $32,646 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,553 music graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 53 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Music Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $10,631 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at Stanford University

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $9,576 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 California State University - Los Angeles Music Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 67 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $12,916 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.7% 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 California State University - Fullerton

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Music at Fresno State

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUN has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $15,346 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Music at California State University - Northridge

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $14,544 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Music at California State University - Long Beach

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,585 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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.

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

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $19,590 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music at UCLA

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $10,904 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Music at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 33 bachelors’s 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 Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,401 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Music Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $17,944 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Music Report

University of California - Davis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $17,622 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full University of California - Davis Music Report

#13

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #13, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $13,611 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music at California State University - San Bernardino

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $18,395 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

University of California - Irvine came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #12 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $19,851 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Music Report

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $19,805 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Music Report

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,766 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k 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 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 Music at SDSU

#18

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,226 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The low 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Music Report

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $15,812 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Music at California State University - Sacramento

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $12,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - East Bay came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $17,710 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Cal State East Bay Music Report

California State University - San Marcos ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,620 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at CSUSM

University of California - San Diego landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $20,205 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Read full report on Music at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Chico landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $19,444 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Music at Chico State

#25

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,027 for california bachelor’s degree music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Music at SFSU

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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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