I understand the concern about making a living in this day and age of high tuitions and loans. Some feel that a bachelor’s in music, whether BM or BA, is a legitimate bachelor’s in any work that requires a bachelor’s and, as I wrote before, gains access to grad and professional schools. You might want to check out the thread on top of this forum on the “myth” that majoring in the arts leads to the “poorhouse.” In the Double Degree Dilemma your son could be Howard or he could be Bill, about whom the essay writes:
"Within the program structures of most music schools are a variety of double degree or double major programs that combine music performance with a music related subject. Choices vary by school, but it is not hard to find B.M. degrees that combine performance with music education, recording arts (music technology), musical theater, music industry (management), musicology (history), accompanying, early music (lute, harpsichord, etc.), electronic/computer music, jazz, music therapy, pedagogy, or church music. These programs vary widely in their entrance and exit requirements, and in the kind of students they attract, so don’t take anything for granted.
Bill and his family are likely to be thrilled when they discover that Bill won’t have to straddle two schools to get his needs met. In all likelihood, he can take a double degree program in “recording arts” or “music technology” at a single school. At some schools, the performance degree is optional."
William Paterson in NJ has sound engineering and also a popular music BA (focused on songwriting and social media).
http://www.wpunj.edu/coac/departments/music/undergraduate/ But I cannot find anything about electric guitar. The BA has quite a few liberal arts requirements which a BM would not have.
Mason Gross at Rutgers has guitar, but not sure if it is electric or not (possibly, after looking at the teacher). They have jazz studies and recording technology BM programs. http://www.masongross.rutgers.edu/music/programs-of-study
Hartt has music management, music production and management, and guitar, but mainly classical, with two classes in electric guitar styles in the guitar major. You could check to see if jazz includes electric guitar. http://www.hartford.edu/hartt/programs/default.aspx
SUNY Purchase has classical guitar, and jazz studies ((is electric guitar part of that, can’t tell) and studio production as well as studio composition. https://www.purchase.edu/departments/AcademicPrograms/Arts/music/programs.aspx
UMass Lowell has music performance, sound recording technology, music business and teacher prep. The department, like others, is concerned about career: https://www.uml.edu/FAHSS/music/Programs/Undergraduate/Performance.aspx
There are electric guitar classes and ensembles.
https://www.uml.edu/search-catalog.aspx?q=electric+guitar
Miami Frost has
Department of Music Media and Industry
• Music Business and Entertainment Industries
• Arts Presenting and Live Entertainment Management
• Music Engineering Technology
Department of Studio Music and Jazz
• Studio Music and Jazz/Instrumental
• Studio Music and Jazz/Vocal
• Studio Jazz Writing
• Jazz Composition
Boyer at Temple in Philly has jazz studies and music technology (don’t see electric guitar).
http://www.temple.edu/boyer/academicprograms/index.asp
Ithaca has music technology, performance, jazz studies and an unusual BM that combines music and another field. Not sure about electric guitar but there is guitar. http://www.ithaca.edu/music/programs/
City College of New York has a range of programs that include jazz studies and sound recording technology (BFA). https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/music/
I think it is harder to find programs in electric guitar, particularly rock or other contemporary genre, than music technology/recording technology/studio production/audio engineering/music engineering technology or whatever you want to call it.
For electric guitar, Berklee is probably the best school to look at. (Merit aid is possible, no sure of your finances!) https://www.berklee.edu/majors It has everything your son could ever want : )
Columbia College Chicago has a great music program including contemporary urban and popular music, as well as a BS program in music technology.
http://www.colum.edu/academics/fine-and-performing-arts/music/index.html
Again, he can go anywhere and study guitar, perform in gigs and so on. For the latter he might want to be near a city. If he stays in NJ that is certainly a good location. I don’t know what other state colleges offer but music technology in whatever form it takes, is offered at state colleges in our state.
One other thing: there are small liberal arts colleges where you can kind of “do your thing” in an independent and interdisciplinary way. For example, Bennington http://www.bennington.edu/academics/areas-of-study-curriculum/music
Bennington also has a field work term in which students work for a semester, and faculty or Bennington connections can help them find suitable placements. This might make you feel better about job prospects. Have your son look at the music page I just linked to see how he feels about it. Bennington is test optional too.
Sarah Lawrence is another one https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/undergraduate/arts/music/
I really like the Colleges that Change Lives colleges and they are worth checking out. There is a website as well as Loren Pope’s original book with the same title.
And again here are the test-optional schools http://fairtest.org/university/optional