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2024 Best Music Theory & Composition Master's Degree Schools in California

4 Colleges in California
53 Master's Degrees
If you plan on getting your master's degree in music theory & composition, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #310 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Music Theory & Composition Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 53 master's degrees in music theory & composition during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best Music Theory & Composition Master's Degree Schools in California The music composition master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. 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 master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

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

More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Music Theory & Composition Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Music Theory & Composition in California

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

Top California Schools for a Master's in Music Composition

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8 Annual Graduates

University of Southern California is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a master's degree in music theory & composition. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in music theory & composition from University of Southern California

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3 Annual Graduates

San Francisco Conservatory of Music is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in music theory & composition. Located in the city of San Francisco, SFCM is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.More information about a master’s in music theory & composition from San Francisco Conservatory of Music

3
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
19 Annual Graduates

Academy of Art University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in music theory & composition. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco.More information about a master’s in music theory & composition from Academy of Art University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

California Institute of the Arts is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in music theory & composition. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Valencia.More information about a master’s in music theory & composition from California Institute of the Arts

Best Music Theory & Composition Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 402 3
Oregon 291 2

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Music Theory & Composition is one of 17 different types of Music programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Music Composition

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Music 156
Music Performance 116
Other Music 46
Stringed Instruments 43
Keyboard Instruments 27
Voice Performance 25
Woodwind Instruments 12
Jazz Studies 10
Musicology & Ethnomusicology 5
Percussion Instruments 3

Notes and References

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