College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

109 Ranked Colleges
1,175 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 1,175 people earned their degree in music theory and composition, making the major the 390th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 109 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Music Composition Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $48-$75k)

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Yale also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,815 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Yale University Music Theory & Composition Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our music composition students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $5,849 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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 Northwestern

3

Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also took the #14 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,106 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Columbia

4
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice also took the #12 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,152 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Rice.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Rice University

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,694 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt University Music Theory & Composition Report

6
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $8,457 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 13 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,481 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at U-M

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,393 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 93%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 14 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,506 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 95%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Florida State

10

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 96%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UCLA

11
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $7,219 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Brooklyn College Music Theory & Composition Report

12

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $11,505 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

13

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $16,134 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at The University of Texas at Austin

14

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,676 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Brigham Young University - Provo

15
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $21,526 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Carnegie Mellon University

16
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $15,037 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UGA Music Theory & Composition Report

17
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend El Centro College is $6,881 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at El Centro College

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 12 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $22,826 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Southern California

18

With a ranking of #18, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Texas is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $14,132 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of North Texas

20

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,273 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Music Theory & Composition Report

21
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. St Olaf College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,453 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Olaf.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at St. Olaf

22
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 22 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $20,557 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Music Theory & Composition Report

23

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 17 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,768 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UMKC

24

Sinclair Community College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 6 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,283 for Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Sinclair Community College

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,364 for music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Music Theory & Composition Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options