by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 46 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for general music students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 974 bachelor's degrees in general music to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
The general music bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality general music program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general music students working on their bachelor's degree.
The general music school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in general music.
University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in general music. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of Southern California
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in general music has to check out University of California - Los Angeles. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Los Angeles
University of Washington - Seattle Campus is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in general music. UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in general music has to look into University of Oregon. Located in the city of Eugene, UO is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of Oregon
Located in the medium-sized city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from Chapman University
UCSB is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Irvine
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Redlands.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of Redlands
UC Davis is a very large public university located in the suburb of Davis.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Davis
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best General Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 12 | Central Washington University | Ellensburg, WA |
| 13 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 14 | California Institute of the Arts | Valencia, CA |
| 15 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
Explore the best general music schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 643 | 785 |
| Washington | 521 | 90 |
| Oregon | 343 | 133 |
| Nevada | 201 | 38 |
| Hawaii | 172 | 12 |
| Alaska | 87 | 8 |
One of 17 majors within the Music area of study, General Music has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music Performance | 611 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 198 |
| Music Technology | 100 |
| Jazz Studies | 54 |
| Other Music | 52 |
| Voice Performance | 45 |
| Stringed Instruments | 32 |
| Musicology & Ethnomusicology | 25 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 21 |
| Music Pedagogy | 9 |
