2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in California
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Music is the 40th most popular major in the country with 27,047 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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” ranking, we looked at 53 colleges that offer 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree music students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in California
Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and 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. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 125 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree music students.
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%.
Read more about Music at California State University - Northridge
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend San Jose State University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students list, CSULB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend CSULB.
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 1.6% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
With a ranking of #6, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree music students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree music students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read full report on Music at California State University - Chico
California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #25 spot in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
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%.
California State University - East Bay ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
California State University - San Marcos came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree music students.
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%.
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree music students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 63 bachelors’s music degrees 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.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 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.
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%.
University of California - Irvine ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas 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. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Music at University of California - Irvine
San Francisco State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s music degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Music at California State University - Sacramento
University of California - Berkeley ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree music students.
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
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s music degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 California State University - Monterey Bay
With a ranking of #22, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 32 diplomas 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 estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read more about Music at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #23. University of California - 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.
UC Davis also made our “Best Music Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree music students per year to attend University of California - Davis.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #24. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students 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
University of California - Riverside landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music students per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Visual & Performing Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in California
Design & Applied Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California
Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California
Arts & Media Management
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Arts & Media Management in California
Dance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Dance in California
Drama & Theater Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in California
Fine & Studio Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in California
Other Visual Art
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Visual Art in California
Switch to a More Focused Major
General Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Music in California
Music Theory & Composition
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California
Conducting
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Conducting in California
Voice Performance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Voice Performance in California
Stringed Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Stringed Instruments in California
Music Technology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Technology in California
Woodwind Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Woodwind Instruments in California
Other Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Music in California
Music Performance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in California
Musicology & Ethnomusicology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Musicology & Ethnomusicology in California
Keyboard Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Keyboard Instruments in California
Jazz Studies
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Jazz Studies in California
Music Pedagogy
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Pedagogy in California
Brass Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Brass Instruments in California
Percussion Instruments
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Percussion Instruments in California
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Music students in the state of California
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in California
Music students in California
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Music Schools
Music students in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $0-$30k) in California
Music students with family income less than $30k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $48-$75k) in California
Music students with family income $48-$75k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income Over $110k) in California
Music students with family income exceeding $110k in California
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Music Graduates in California
Music students in California
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in California
Music students in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in California (With Aid)
Music students getting aid in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $30-$48k) in California
Music students with family income $30-$48k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music (Income $75-$110k) in California
Music students with family income $75-$110k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in California
Music students in California
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.
Featured Performing Arts Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
