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2024 Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor's Degree Schools

20 Colleges in the United States
65 Doctor's Degrees
a doctor's degree in music theory & composition is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #198 out of 862 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 20 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 65 doctor's degrees in music theory & composition to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Music Theory & Composition School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor's Degree Schools The music composition doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality music composition program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for music theory & composition students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Music Composition Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Theory & Composition Doctor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Music Theory & Composition in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in music theory & composition.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Music Composition

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in music theory & composition. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from Northwestern University

2
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Michigan State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in music theory & composition. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from Michigan State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in music theory & composition needs to take a look at University of Southern California. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from University of Southern California

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

University of Rochester is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in music theory & composition. Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from University of Rochester

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from Rice University

6
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from Florida State University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from Columbia University in the City of New York

7
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from Boston University

8
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in music theory & composition from University of Miami

Music Theory & Composition by Region

View the Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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One of 17 majors within the Music area of study, Music Theory & Composition has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Music Composition

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Music 538
Music Performance 479
Keyboard Instruments 44
Musicology & Ethnomusicology 41
Other Music 39
Conducting 33
Music Pedagogy 23
Stringed Instruments 19
Voice Performance 17
Music History 16

Notes and References

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