2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $30-$48k)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 595 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 109 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $30-$48k)
Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k list, Rice has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $7,534 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Rice University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Vanderbilt University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Johns Hopkins University is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,210 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Music Theory & Composition Report
University of North Texas ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $9,082 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of North Texas
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,467 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UW Seattle
Florida State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $6,816 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,254 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
St Olaf College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $12,276 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $2,898 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 #13, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Austin has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,575 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Music Theory & Composition Report
Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,425 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Brigham Young University - Provo
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $10,037 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,992 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Duluth.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
With a ranking of #17, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $10,241 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Georgia
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,895 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Music Theory & Composition Report
Oberlin College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oberlin is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Oberlin also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $11,560 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $11,337 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Washington State University
Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Juan, , this small public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,034 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music
Western Washington University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.
The yearly cost to attend WWU is $11,228 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Western Washington University Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #23, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,487 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ball State University.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ball State
University of Northern Iowa landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,495 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNI.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Northern Iowa
SUNY Fredonia landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fredonia, New York, this small public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $11,935 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
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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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