2025 Best General Music Schools in California
30
Colleges in California
1,517
General Music Degrees Awarded
Ranked #73 in popularity,
general music is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 30 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Music Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,517 degrees in general music to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
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Featured General Music Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More
Choosing a Great General Music School
The general music program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Music rankings. For our Best Overall General Music School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your General Music Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Music Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
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Featured General Music Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More
Best Schools for General Music in California
The schools below may not offer all types of general music degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in General Music
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
35th
Most Popular In CA
University of Southern California is a great choice for students interested in a degree in general music. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 10 general music students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general music from University of Southern California
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In CA
44
General Music Degrees Awarded
University of California - Los Angeles is a great choice for students interested in a degree in general music. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 44 general music students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Los Angeles
Masters
Degree Type
MBA in Music Business
Program Name
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
More information about a degree in MBA in Music Business from Southern New Hampshire University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
14th
Most Popular In CA
University of California - Irvine is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in general music. UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were approximately 11 general music students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Irvine
Every student pursuing a degree in general music needs to look into California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #165 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.
There were roughly 12 general music students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general music from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
36
General Music Degrees Awarded
Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 36 general music students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Santa Barbara
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
18th
Most Popular In CA
Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were roughly 16 general music students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Davis
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
58th
Most Popular In CA
Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.
There were approximately 7 general music students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general music from Pepperdine University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
40th
Most Popular In CA
Located in the suburb of Valencia, CalArts is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
There were roughly 9 general music students who graduated with this degree at CalArts in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general music from California Institute of the Arts
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
13th
Most Popular In CA
41
General Music Degrees Awarded
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were approximately 41 general music students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general music from University of California - San Diego
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
47
General Music Degrees Awarded
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 47 general music students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general music from University of California - Berkeley
