2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 7,957 people earned their degree in music performance, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 990 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 172 music performance graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,319 and $48,880 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in music performance. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music performance programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music performance program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Music Performance Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region master’s degree music performance students with aid.
Top 15 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
CSUN also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree music performance students with aid list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Music Performance at Cal State Fullerton
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
CSULB also made our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 13 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 6 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree music performance students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Sacramento are $18,356, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Music Performance at California State University - Sacramento
Central Washington University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CWU is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 4 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CWU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Central Washington University are $24,976.
Southern Oregon University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ashland, Oregon is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Southern Oregon University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Oregon University are $23,445, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Music Performance at Southern Oregon University
Portland State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree music performance students with aid list, Portland State University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Portland State University are $23,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Music Performance at Portland State University
With a ranking of #10, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 10 masters’s music performance degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree music performance students with aid list, SFSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SFSU are $17,944, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Oregon did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. UO is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 masters’s music performance degrees to qualified students.
UO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oregon are $29,991, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Music Performance at University of Oregon
University of Redlands ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
University of Redlands also made our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Redlands are $22,852.
Mills College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Oakland, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music performance degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
Mills also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Mills College are $36,263, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California Institute of the Arts came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Performance Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s music performance students in 2019-2020.
CalArts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Performance Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CalArts are $53,466, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
All Degree Levels
Best Value Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Bachelors
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Doctorate
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the New England Region (With Aid)
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Music
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Music in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Musicology & Ethnomusicology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Musicology & Ethnomusicology in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Keyboard Instruments
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Keyboard Instruments in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Jazz Studies
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Jazz Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Music Technology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Technology in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Woodwind Instruments
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Woodwind Instruments in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Other Music
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Other Music in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Music Theory & Composition
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Conducting
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Conducting in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Voice Performance
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Voice Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Stringed Instruments
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Stringed Instruments in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Brass Instruments
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Brass Instruments in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Percussion Instruments
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Percussion Instruments in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Music Performance Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students in the Far Western US Region
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students in the Far Western US Region
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Music Performance Schools
Music Performance students in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students with family income less than $30k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students with family income $48-$75k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income Over $110k) in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students with family income exceeding $110k in the Far Western US Region
Highest Paid Master's Degree Music Performance Graduates in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students in the Far Western US Region
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Music Performance students getting aid in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students with family income $30-$48k in the Far Western US Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music Performance (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region
Music Performance students with family income $75-$110k in the Far Western US Region
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
![]() |
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 > |