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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

17 Ranked Colleges
90 Degrees Awarded
$23,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 228 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 90 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. 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 Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #1 spot on the list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $8,210 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Johns Hopkins Music Theory & Composition Report

#2

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #2 spot on the list. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Brooklyn College also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $2,898 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Brooklyn College

#3

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Fredonia. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SUNY Fredonia is a small school located in Fredonia, New York that handed out 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k list, SUNY Fredonia has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $11,935 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - Baltimore County landed the #4 spot on the list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

UMBC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMBC is $12,605 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMBC Music Theory & Composition Report

#5

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Rochester landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Rochester, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $14,508 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Rochester.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#6

Purchase College

Purchase, New York
#14 in overall quality

Purchase College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purchase College is a small public school situated in Purchase, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purchase College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $16,699 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Purchase College

#7

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#9 in overall quality

Syracuse University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Syracuse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Syracuse University is $21,360 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Syracuse University

#8

Manhattan School of Music

New York, New York
#11 in overall quality

Manhattan School of Music landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Manhattan School of Music is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Manhattan School of Music also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $59,980 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Manhattan School of Music.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Manhattan School of Music

#9

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Temple University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $18,879 for middle atlantic region 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 87%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Temple University

#10

New York University

New York, New York
#3 in overall quality

New York University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. NYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 10 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k list, NYU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NYU is $25,771 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 90%. 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.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at NYU

#11

The Juilliard School

New York, New York
#5 in overall quality

The Juilliard School did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Juilliard is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Juilliard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Juilliard is $26,627 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 94%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The Juilliard School

#12

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York
#4 in overall quality

Ithaca College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Ithaca also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ithaca College is $23,356 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Ithaca College

#13

Rider University

Lawrenceville, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

Rider University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rider is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Rider also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rider is $23,326 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Rider Music Theory & Composition Report

#14

Nazareth College

Rochester, New York
#10 in overall quality

Nazareth College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rochester, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Nazareth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Nazareth is $22,536 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Nazareth

#15

Catholic University of America

Washington, District of Columbia
#8 in overall quality

Catholic University of America ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

CUA also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend CUA is $26,211 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at CUA

#16

The New School

New York, New York
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, The New School did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

New School University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The New School is $40,044 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Full The New School Music Theory & Composition Report

#17

The University of the Arts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, The University of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

UArts also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UArts is $37,844 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full The University of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report

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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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