Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, California · Private For-Profit · 87.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 19/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Los Angeles College of Music (LACM) scores 19 (Below Benchmark) - a score reflecting incomplete data. Average 6-year earnings are not reported by Scorecard; median 10-year earnings are $31,758. The payback period is coded as 999 - meaning Scorecard cannot calculate a finite payback because the earnings data does not support one at the net price. Net price of $43,590 is higher than the $30,540 sticker tuition, which typically indicates fees and living costs are being included in a way that exceeds tuition. The completion rate is 41.3% - fewer than half of enrolled students graduate. The three-year repayment rate of 62.1% indicates widespread borrower difficulty. LACM is a tiny for-profit music institution (227 students) in Pasadena, CA, with 87.7% admission. Scorecard reports one program: Music (28 graduates, F-grade, $24,059 year-one, DTR 1.550 with median debt of $37,296). Some CampusROI metrics rely on imputed values. The data profile collectively describes a high-cost, low-completion institution where graduates carry debt that outpaces their earnings.
How Los Angeles College of Music scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score19/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Los Angeles College of Music
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,540/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,540/yr |
| Average net price | $43,590/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $174,360 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $31,758 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,938 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $296 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 227 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $30,540/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $43,590/year, or roughly $174,360 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $42,657/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,642/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,938, which works out to about $296 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. We do not have the six-year earnings figure needed to work out a debt-to-earnings ratio for this school.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $42,657 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $41,484 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $43,352 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $49,455 |
| $110,001+ | $44,642 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $42,657 per year at LACM.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $43,352; the $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $49,455 - the highest net price in the schedule. At $43,000-$49,000 per year for a school with a 41.3% completion rate and immeasurable payback period, the financial risk is extreme for middle-income families. LACM's full-pay sticker of $30,540 is below the reported net prices in some brackets, suggesting fees, housing, and living costs are substantial components of total cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families over $110,000 pay $44,642. Even for families with resources, a 41.3% graduation rate and $31,758 ten-year median earnings represent poor expected outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Los Angeles College of Music with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Music | $24,059 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Music
Music is the only Scorecard-reported program at LACM: 28 graduates, $24,059 year-one (four-year not reported), debt-to-earnings ratio 1.550 (ROI grade F). Median debt of $37,296 against $24,059 starting earnings means graduates owe roughly 1.55 times their first-year income on entry into the workforce. The F grade reflects this relationship. Music performance and production careers have highly variable earnings; the 28 graduates in Scorecard likely capture a broad range from touring musicians to studio engineers. The median does not capture the upside of the LA music market, but it accurately reflects what a typical LACM graduate earns in the first year.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 57.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 62.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 52.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 59.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Los Angeles College of Music’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 87.7% |
| Enrollment | 227 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,308 |
LACM admits 87.7% of applicants. Scorecard does not report test score ranges. The relevant concern is not admission selectivity but the financial risk: a 41.3% completion rate means most enrollees do not graduate, and a payback period coded as 999 means Scorecard cannot identify a breakeven timeline at median earnings. Prospective students should request current completion rates, placement data, and typical graduate earnings directly from the institution before enrolling.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles College of Music (this school) | 19 | $43,590 | $31,758 |
| University of Silicon Valley | 23 | $27,815 | $51,017 |
| Miami Regional University | 23 | $22,113 | $29,081 |
| Wade College | 16 | $20,778 | $36,657 |
| South University-Richmond | 11 | $30,442 | $34,421 |
| Academy of Art University | 10 | $40,613 | $39,008 |
Who Thrives Here
LACM admits 87.7% of applicants. Scorecard does not report test score ranges. It has 227 enrolled students. The Pell rate is 20.2%. Students who choose LACM are seeking specialized music performance or production training in the LA industry environment. The institutional context - Pasadena, proximity to LA studios and entertainment industry - is a genuine draw for aspiring music professionals. However, the Scorecard data on completion and earnings does not support the financial case at a $43,590 net price.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Los Angeles College of Music scores 19/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $43,590 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $31,758 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 41.3% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 62.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Los Angeles College of Music: Common Questions
Is Los Angeles College of Music worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Los Angeles College of Music scores 19/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $43,590 a year after aid against $31,758 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Los Angeles College of Music cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $43,590 a year, or roughly $174,360 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Los Angeles College of Music graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $31,758 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Los Angeles College of Music?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Los Angeles College of Music. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Los Angeles College of Music?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.