Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Music Theory & Composition

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region

21 Ranked Colleges
115 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Far Western US Region 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.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 295 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 115 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 21 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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

Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,694 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Music Theory & Composition Report

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Music Theory & Composition Report

#3

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #3 spot on the list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $15,343 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UCSB

#4

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Wazzu did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $15,548 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Washington State University Music Theory & Composition Report

#5

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Washington University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. WWU 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.

WWU also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $16,398 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Washington University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 WWU

#6

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $20,050 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of Southern California Music Theory & Composition Report

#7

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
#20 in overall quality

Portland State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Portland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,599 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Portland State University.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Portland State University

#8

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#14 in overall quality

Central Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. CWU is a public institution located in Ellensburg, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CWU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $15,744 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full CWU Music Theory & Composition Report

#9

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington
#11 in overall quality

Northwest University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northwest University is located in Kirkland, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Northwest University also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $18,878 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwest University.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwest University Music Theory & Composition Report

#10

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution located in Redlands, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Redlands, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $24,866 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Redlands

#11

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $26,047 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of the Pacific.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Pacific

#12

Lewis & Clark College

Portland, Oregon
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Lewis & Clark College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lewis and Clark College has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis & Clark College is $28,535 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Lewis & Clark College

#13

Whitman College

Walla Walla, Washington
#13 in overall quality

Whitman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Whitman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Walla Walla, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Whitman also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Whitman is $26,974 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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.

Full Whitman Music Theory & Composition Report

#14

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego, California 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.

PLNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $28,716 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at PLNU

#15

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#12 in overall quality

Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $29,212 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Biola.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Biola University

#16

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#6 in overall quality

Pepperdine University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Malibu, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $31,918 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Pepperdine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Pepperdine University

#17

Chapman University

Orange, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Chapman University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Orange, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Chapman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $36,041 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chapman.

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 85%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Chapman University

#18

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco, California
#7 in overall quality

San Francisco Conservatory of Music ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

SFCM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco Conservatory of Music is $34,037 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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%.

Full SFCM Music Theory & Composition Report

#19

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#8 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Institute of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

CalArts also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of the Arts is $46,265 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Full California Institute of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report

#20

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#19 in overall quality

Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $38,617 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Academy of Art University.

Full Academy of Art University Music Theory & Composition Report

#21

Los Angeles Film School

Hollywood, California
#21 in overall quality

Los Angeles Film School did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Los Angeles Film School is a medium-sized school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

LA Film School also took the #21 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $31,795 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend LA Film School.

Full Los Angeles Film School Music Theory & Composition Report

Switch to a Similar Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You