2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 1,117 people earned their degree in music theory and composition, making the major the 415th most popular in the United States.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 295 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 115 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in music theory and composition. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music theory and composition programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,850 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Music Theory & Composition Report
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
UCLA also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $8,553 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #3 spot on the list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Wazzu also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $9,334 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Washington University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Western Washington University is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $9,743 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, Central Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CWU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Washington University is $9,875 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Southern California ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #8, Portland State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Portland State University is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Portland State University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,198 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Portland State University.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Portland State University
Northwest University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Kirkland, Washington, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwest University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest University is $15,871 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Northwest University
Whitman College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Whitman is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Walla Walla, Washington. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Whitman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $22,616 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Whitman.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Lewis & Clark College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lewis & Clark College is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Lewis and Clark College also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis and Clark College is $18,913 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Lewis & Clark College
University of Redlands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $21,763 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Redlands
With a ranking of #13, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pacific has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $21,972 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. PLNU is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
PLNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $25,073 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Point Loma Nazarene University Music Theory & Composition Report
Biola University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $25,135 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFCM is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
SFCM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SFCM is $29,145 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Chapman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $33,219 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Chapman University
Pepperdine University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Malibu, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Pepperdine also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $31,185 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Pepperdine University Music Theory & Composition Report
California Institute of the Arts ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
CalArts also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of the Arts is $43,576 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Institute of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #20, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $29,390 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University
Los Angeles Film School came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles Film School is a medium-sized school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
LA Film School also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend LA Film School is $30,421 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at LA Film School
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Music Theory & Composition students with family income $75-$110k in the Far Western US Region
Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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