2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in California (With Aid)
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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 54 colleges that offer a degree in music. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music 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 program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in California (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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 at California State University - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 67 bachelors’s music degrees 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 Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
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%.
Read more about Music at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - Long Beach landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 113 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 67 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California Polytechnic State University - 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Music Report
San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
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 2.8% 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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 60 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students with aid 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 Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
San Jose State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music at California State University - Sacramento
University of California - Riverside came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Music at University of California - Riverside
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC 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 $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low 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%.
California State University - East Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
Read more about Music at California State University - East Bay
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Stanislaus 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 estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #21, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Music at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #22, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music at California State University - San Marcos
University of California - Davis ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
California State University - Chico landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students with aid.
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%.
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 Getting Aid list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree music students with aid.
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- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music (With Aid)
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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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