by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 32 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for general music students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 710 bachelor's degrees in general music to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * 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.
Your choice of general music for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for general music students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Music Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
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.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for general music students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
University of Southern California is a wonderful choice for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in general music. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of Southern California
It is hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in general music. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Los Angeles
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in general music needs to look into Chapman University. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Orange.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from Chapman University
University of California - Santa Barbara is a good option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in general music. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Santa Barbara
UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the large city of Irvine.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Irvine
Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the city of Redlands, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of Redlands
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from University of California - Davis
CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from California State University - Long Beach
Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general music from Pepperdine University
Explore all the Best General Music Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 521 | 90 |
| Oregon | 343 | 133 |
| Nevada | 201 | 38 |
| Hawaii | 172 | 12 |
| Alaska | 87 | 8 |
General Music is one of 17 different types of Music programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music Performance | 493 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 173 |
| Music Technology | 86 |
| Jazz Studies | 41 |
| Other Music | 41 |
| Voice Performance | 35 |
| Stringed Instruments | 30 |
| Musicology & Ethnomusicology | 18 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 17 |
| Music Pedagogy | 7 |
