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2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

110 Ranked Colleges
595 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

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 $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 110 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

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

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Northwestern University

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees 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 is $8,086 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Vanderbilt

#3

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also took the #4 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,049 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins University

#4

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #4 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 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,318 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Rice University.

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. 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%.

Full Rice Music Theory & Composition Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $9,694 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full UW Seattle Music Theory & Composition Report

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UCLA

#8

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#14 in overall quality

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,583 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Florida State University Music Theory & Composition Report

#2 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $15,757 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full UT Austin Music Theory & Composition Report

#15 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,351 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#11

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

St. Olaf also took the #6 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,577 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Olaf.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full St. Olaf Music Theory & Composition Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $12,466 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 92%. 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%.

Full BYU Music Theory & Composition Report

#13

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#20 in overall quality

University of North Texas came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNT has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $15,377 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Texas Music Theory & Composition Report

Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. San Juan, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is $8,324 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music

#15

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $7,317 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Brooklyn College

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #24 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UCSB

#17

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,729 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Northern Iowa

#18

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $14,748 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 94%.

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

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $13,982 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ohio State

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $12,438 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UMN Duluth

#21

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $15,885 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia

#22

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Concordia College Moorhead did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College at Moorhead is $20,924 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Concordia College at Moorhead Music Theory & Composition Report

#23

Lawrence University

Appleton, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

Lawrence University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lawrence University is located in Appleton, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Lawrence U also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $17,791 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lawrence University.

The 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 87%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Lawrence University

#24

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Wheaton College Illinois

#25

Bob Jones University

Greenville, South Carolina

Bob Jones University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bob Jones University is a small school located in Greenville, South Carolina that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bob Jones University is $12,572 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Bob Jones University

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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