California State University-Chico Music: earnings, debt & careers

Music graduates of California State University-Chico earn a median $42,269 four years after graduating ($25,339 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $24,125. That is $1,484 below the U.S. median for Music graduates ($43,753 across 263 colleges), and ranks 12th of 23 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$42,269

U.S. median for this major: $43,753.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$25,339

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$24,125

About 57% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,480 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $26,283. College Scorecard.

Music at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Music graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Sonoma State University$65,533—$12,88558%
2University of Redlands$59,275$27,000$30,03167%
3University of California-San Diego$58,071$18,938$12,47086%
4Biola University$50,781$26,417$31,49568%
5San Francisco Conservatory of Music$49,186$27,000$42,60774%
6California State University-Long Beach$47,831$20,550$10,44069%
7University of California-Los Angeles$47,779$23,119$12,54893%
8California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$44,910$18,000$11,53168%
9University of California-Irvine$43,120—$14,25187%
10University of the Pacific$43,093$26,017$25,44769%
11California State University-Sacramento$42,774$16,500$9,33856%
12California State University-Chico$42,269$24,125$14,48063%
13San Diego State University$42,090$15,131$15,36476%
14Chapman University$41,698$27,000$46,55582%
15California State University-Northridge$40,669$15,933$7,02157%
16California Institute of the Arts$40,294$23,125$46,08067%
17California State University-Monterey Bay$40,077$18,920$13,66359%
18California State University-Fullerton$39,590$20,469$6,55570%
19California State University-Los Angeles$39,120$12,500$3,96753%
20San Francisco State University$38,639$15,000$12,27850%
21University of Southern California$34,124$20,976$32,74092%
22University of California-Santa Barbara$33,825—$16,10983%
23California Lutheran University$32,316$25,980$30,10970%

44 more California colleges offer Music but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Music graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Chico area$98,210
California$101,370
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Music Directors and Composers

California$93,090
U.S.$73,710

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at California State University-Chico, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About California State University-Chico

Related majors at California State University-Chico

California State University-Chico Music questions

How much do California State University-Chico Music graduates earn?

Music graduates of California State University-Chico earn a median $42,269 four years after graduating and $25,339 one year after. The U.S. median for Music graduates across 263 colleges is $43,753.

How much debt do California State University-Chico Music graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Music graduates of California State University-Chico is $24,125, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Where does California State University-Chico rank for Music in California?

Of 23 California colleges reporting Music graduate earnings, California State University-Chico ranks 12th. The highest is Sonoma State University at $65,533.

What jobs do Music graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $98,210 in the Chico, CA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include music directors and composers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “California State University-Chico Music: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-chico/majors/music (College Scorecard and BLS data).