Top Music Programs in the West by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in the West
Regional list from Best Music Programs in the United States
This page ranks 59 Music programs in the West by median earnings of Music graduates four years after completing, highest first. Sonoma State University leads the list at $65,533, followed by University of Redlands at $59,275 and University of California-San Diego at $58,071.
Across the listed programs, the median is $39,920, with figures ranging from $65,533 to $11,481. For 13 of the 59 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 73% of the list. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
Metropolitan State University of Denver reports the highest admission rate at 99%, while University of California-Los Angeles is the most selective, admitting 9% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $65,533 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University reports median earnings of $65,533 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with 33 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $59,275 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
| A private nonprofit university in Redlands, University of Redlands admits 83% of applicants and shows median earnings of $59,275 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $58,071 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $58,071 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $55,161 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 96.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,450 in federal loans at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, which ranks 4th on this list. | |||||
| 5 | Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA | $51,008 | $18,476 | $11,846 | 90.6% |
| Central Washington University carries an average net price of $18,476 and reports median earnings of $51,008 for its Music graduates four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 46. | |||||
| 6 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $50,781 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
| Biola University ranks 1161st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $50,781 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $49,240 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
| With an admission rate of 86%, University of Utah reports median earnings of $49,240 for its Music graduates four years after completing and a cohort of 45. | |||||
| 8 | San Francisco Conservatory of Music · San Francisco, CA | $49,186 | $42,607 | $55,704 | 54.9% |
| San Francisco Conservatory of Music shows median federal debt of $27,000 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, alongside median earnings of $49,186 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $48,461 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver reports median earnings of $48,461 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $36,131. | |||||
| 10 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $47,831 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $47,831 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $47,779 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles admits 9% of applicants and reports median earnings of $47,779 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with 75 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus · Denver, CO | $46,532 | $11,900 | $6,743 | 74.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, which reports median earnings of $46,532 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $44,910 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona reports median earnings of $44,910 for its Music graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $11,531. | |||||
| 14 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $43,792 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Northern Arizona University left with a median of $19,000 in federal loans, and the school admits 90% of applicants. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $43,120 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $43,120 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $43,093 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Stockton, University of the Pacific has an average net price of $25,447 and reports 13 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $42,774 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento posts an average net price of $9,338 and an admission rate of 94%, with 49 Music graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $42,269 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| With median earnings of $42,269 for its Music graduates four years after completing, California State University-Chico ranks 18th on this list. | |||||
| 19 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $42,090 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University admits 36% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $15,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 20 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $41,698 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University shows median earnings of $41,698 for its Music graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $46,555. | |||||
| 21 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $41,610 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports 42 Music graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 22 | University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA | $41,207 | $38,394 | $23,643 | 72.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Puget Sound left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans, and the school's admission rate is 72%. | |||||
| 23 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $41,181 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
| Washington State University reports median earnings of $41,181 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,971. | |||||
| 24 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $41,073 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University admits 77% of applicants and shows median earnings of $41,073 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $40,922 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona reports median earnings of $40,922 for its Music graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,674. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $40,669 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at California State University-Northridge left with a median of $13,872 in federal loans, and the school admits 93% of applicants. | |||||
| 27 | California Institute of the Arts · Valencia, CA | $40,294 | $46,080 | $26,686 | 32.3% |
| California Institute of the Arts, a private nonprofit institution, ranks 1462nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts a 32% admission rate. | |||||
| 28 | California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA | $40,077 | $13,663 | $9,970 | 97.4% |
| With a cohort of 13 graduates in the earnings cohort, California State University-Monterey Bay shows median earnings of $40,077 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $39,928 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| University of Oregon carries an average net price of $22,182 and a school-wide median federal debt of $20,139 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 30 | Montana State University · Bozeman, MT | $39,920 | $22,499 | $17,797 | 82.1% |
| Montana State University ranks 30th on this list and reports median earnings of $39,920 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $39,590 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton admits 91% of applicants and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 6th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 32 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $39,414 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Colorado State University-Fort Collins left with a median of $20,000 in federal loans, and the school's Music graduates earn a median of $39,414 four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $39,120 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles posts an average net price of $3,967 and admits 91% of applicants. | |||||
| 34 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $38,957 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver ranks 193rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a 99% admission rate. | |||||
| 35 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $38,858 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| Western Washington University shows median earnings of $38,858 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 32 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 36 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $38,701 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder carries an average net price of $25,346 and a school-wide median federal debt of $19,500 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 37 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $38,639 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University reports median earnings of $38,639 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with 26 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 38 | University of Northern Colorado · Greeley, CO | $37,749 | $17,760 | $12,695 | 85.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Northern Colorado left with a median of $20,470 in federal loans, and the school admits 86% of applicants. | |||||
| 39 | Northwest University · Kirkland, WA | $37,112 | $22,288 | $17,996 | 83.2% |
| A private nonprofit university in Kirkland, Northwest University ranks 39th on this list and shows an average net price of $22,288. | |||||
| 40 | Southern Oregon University · Ashland, OR | $36,201 | $16,732 | $11,830 | 88.6% |
| Southern Oregon University posts median earnings of $36,201 for its Music graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 89%. | |||||
| 41 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $34,160 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| With an average net price of $9,552, Portland State University ranks 135th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 42 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $34,124 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California admits 10% of applicants and its Music graduates earn a median of $34,124 four years after completing. | |||||
| 43 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $33,825 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| Ranking 43rd on this list, University of California-Santa Barbara carries a school-wide median federal debt of $13,993 for borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 44 | California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA | $32,316 | $30,109 | $22,161 | 75.7% |
| California Lutheran University reports an average net price of $22,161 for families earning under $30,000, and its Music graduates earn a median of $32,316 four years after completing. | |||||
| 45 | The University of Montana · Missoula, MT | $29,685 | $16,784 | $13,960 | 95.9% |
| The University of Montana shows median earnings of $29,685 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with 27 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 46 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $29,483 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Brigham Young University left with a median of $11,069 in federal loans, and the school ranks 27th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 47 | University of Idaho · Moscow, ID | $29,227 | $14,831 | $11,270 | 75.5% |
| University of Idaho admits 76% of applicants and posts median earnings of $29,227 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 48 | Colorado State University Pueblo · Pueblo, CO | $27,476 | $10,051 | $9,374 | 94.9% |
| With an average net price of $10,051, Colorado State University Pueblo ranks 48th on this list and reports 13 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 49 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $26,353 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz reports median earnings of $26,353 for its Music graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 66%. | |||||
| 50 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $25,194 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| With an average net price of $13,171, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt ranks 50th on this list and sits on Azimuth's composite ranking at 390th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 51 | Seattle Pacific University · Seattle, WA | $25,194 | $24,488 | $20,735 | 83.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in Seattle, Seattle Pacific University posts median earnings of $25,194 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $24,488. | |||||
| 52 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $24,615 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University admits 88% of applicants and reports median earnings of $24,615 for its Music graduates four years after completing, with 27 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 53 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $24,369 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| Ranking 53rd on this list, University of California-Berkeley carries an average net price of $5,311 for families earning under $30,000 and an admission rate of 11%. | |||||
| 54 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $24,035 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno reports median earnings of $24,035 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $15,927. | |||||
| 55 | Pacific Lutheran University · Tacoma, WA | $24,035 | $19,589 | $13,609 | 78.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University ranks 55th on this list and shows an admission rate of 78%. | |||||
| 56 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $21,964 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Eastern Washington University posts median earnings of $21,964 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $9,547 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 57 | Whitworth University · Spokane, WA | $19,227 | $26,534 | $16,788 | 89.8% |
| With an admission rate of 90%, Whitworth University reports median earnings of $19,227 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $26,534. | |||||
| 58 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $18,771 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus ranks 150th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $18,771 for its Music graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 59 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $11,481 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| Ranking 59th on this list, University of California-Riverside reports median earnings of $11,481 for its Music graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $8,852 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Music graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 13 of the 59 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Sonoma State University and University of Redlands is $6,258, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $54,052.