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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

7 Ranked Colleges
14 Degrees Awarded
$31,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Music Theory & Composition is the 415th most popular major in the country with 1,117 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Southwest region, there were 60 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 14 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 7 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

Top 7 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 7 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Rice Music Theory & Composition Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Tempe are $27,048, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at ASU - Tempe

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 7 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Oklahoma landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and it awarded 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

UCO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCO are $17,913, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Central Oklahoma

#4

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma City University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oklahoma City University is a small school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that handed out 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

OCU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at OCU are $13,410, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Oklahoma City University

#5

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Christian University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

TCU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Christian University are $32,268.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at TCU

#3 in overall quality

Southern Methodist University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dallas, Texas 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.

SMU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SMU are $47,478, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Southern Methodist University

#7

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Baylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baylor University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Baylor are $36,936, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Baylor

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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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