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2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

38 Ranked Colleges
3,612 Degrees Awarded
$17,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Schools 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. 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 California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

Music is the 43rd most popular major in the country with 25,910 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 38 colleges that offered a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college 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 in California For Those Making $75-$110k

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

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 114 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,697 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCLA.

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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at University of California - Los Angeles

2

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Music Schools 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. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 57 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Music Report

3

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 89 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #17 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $12,977 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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 more about Music at Cal State Fullerton

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $15,101 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Music Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,789 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno State.

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 full report on Music at California State University - Fresno

6

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 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 California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $21,601 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 96%.

Read more about Music at University of California - Berkeley

7

University of California - Davis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,728 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at UC Davis

8

California State University - Northridge came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 174 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $15,380 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #5 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,567 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at UC Irvine

10

California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 56 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,925 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k 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 full report on Music at Sac State

11

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,338 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

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

Read full report on Music at CSUSB

12

University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $20,906 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Music at UCSD

13

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,642 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stan State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Music Report

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools 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 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $75-$110k list, SDSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,957 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SDSU.

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

Read more about Music at San Diego State University

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 52 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $21,035 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State University Music Report

16

University of California - Riverside came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 26 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $16,887 for California 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Riverside Music Report

17

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 13 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $11,085 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music at California State University - Dominguez Hills

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 39 ’s music degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,166 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Music Report

19

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCSB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,581 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k 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 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%.

Full UCSB Music Report

20
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,707 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego Mesa College.

Read full report on Music at San Diego Mesa College

21

California State University - East Bay came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified ’s music students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $18,874 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Music at Cal State East Bay

22

California State University - Chico landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $20,708 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Music at California State University - Chico

23
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 182 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california music students whose families make $75-$110k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,363 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USC.

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 1.3% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Music at University of Southern California

24
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s music degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also made our “Best Music Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $20,159 for california music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Music Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $22,380 for California Music students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 at UC Santa Cruz

Notes and References

References

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