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2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

52 Ranked Colleges
310 Degrees Awarded
$36,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master's 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 has developed its “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 310 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 52 colleges that offer a degree in music theory and composition. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music theory and composition programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The music composition school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Yale University

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern University

#3

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 12 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at U-M

#5

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #5 spot on the list. Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913.

Full Rice Music Theory & Composition Report

#6

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Brooklyn College

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 6 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Florida State University

#22 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UW Seattle

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 10 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Michigan State

#10

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Boston U also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Boston U

#11

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro are $21,918.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UNC Greensboro

#12

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York
#8 in overall quality

University of Rochester landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

University of Rochester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Rochester are $50,505, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Rochester

With a ranking of #13, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Tempe are $27,048.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Arizona State University - Tempe

#14

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Brandeis University is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brandeis University are $52,060.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Brandeis University

#15

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan are $19,359.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan

#16

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UK is a large school located in Lexington, Kentucky that handed out 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Kentucky are $33,216.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Kentucky

#17

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Youngstown State University are $9,495, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Youngstown State University

#18

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Kansas City are $26,699, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UMKC

#19

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon are $47,326, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Carnegie Mellon Music Theory & Composition Report

#20

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full USC Music Theory & Composition Report

University of Central Oklahoma ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCO is located in Edmond, Oklahoma and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Oklahoma are $17,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UCO

#22

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

With a ranking of #22, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 1 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University at Buffalo are $26,028.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University at Buffalo

#23

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Western Michigan University are $31,355.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Western Michigan University

#24

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oregon are $29,991, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Oregon

#20 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 10 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UC

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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