by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for music students pursuing a doctor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 103 doctor's degrees in music during the 2022-2023 academic year.
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.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music students working on their doctor's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Music Doctor's Degree Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
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.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for music students seeking a a doctor's degree.
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in music. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their doctorate from the music program state that they receive average early career income of $29,274.
More information about a doctorate in music from University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in music. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in music from University of California - Los Angeles
Explore all the Best Music Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 122 | 16 |
| Oregon | 107 | 8 |
| Nevada | 84 | 5 |
| Hawaii | 53 | 1 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Music has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Music | 48 |
| Music Theory & Composition | 11 |
| Musicology & Ethnomusicology | 10 |
| Music Performance | 9 |
| Other Music | 7 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 5 |
| Voice Performance | 5 |
| Stringed Instruments | 4 |
| Brass Instruments | 3 |
| Woodwind Instruments | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 32 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 24 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 18 |
| Other Visual Art | 11 |
| Dance | 2 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 1 |
