2023 Best Value Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
27
Ranked Colleges
167
Degrees Awarded
$20,400
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 167 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 22 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Michigan State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and 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 #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend U-M.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at U-M
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region music composition students with aid.
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%. 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 UIUC
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $23,279 for great lakes region music composition students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Sinclair Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Sinclair Community College is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
Full Sinclair Community College Music Theory & Composition Report
Ball State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Ball State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ball State University Music Theory & Composition Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 24 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UC
Western Michigan University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,371 for great lakes region music composition students with aid per year to attend WMU.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at WMU
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
BGSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend BGSU.
Full BGSU Music Theory & Composition Report
Youngstown State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region music composition students with aid.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Youngstown State University
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for great lakes region music composition students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ohio State
Central Michigan University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan
University of Akron Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music composition students with aid list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #14, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Kent State
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,831 for great lakes region music composition students with aid per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ohio University - Athens Campus
Capital University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Capital University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Capital did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Capital University is $20,020 for great lakes region music composition students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Capital University Music Theory & Composition Report
Roosevelt University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt also took the #9 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,678 for great lakes region music composition students with aid per year to attend Roosevelt University.
Full Roosevelt Music Theory & Composition Report
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $25,692 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Wheaton College Illinois
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,470 for great lakes region music composition students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Olivet Nazarene University
Cedarville University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cedarville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
Cedarville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,817 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Cedarville.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Cedarville University
With a ranking of #21, Baldwin Wallace University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berea, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Baldwin Wallace College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $25,361 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Baldwin Wallace College.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Baldwin Wallace College
Bradley University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,196 for great lakes region music composition students with aid per year to attend Bradley University.
The undergrad 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 86%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Bradley University
Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $34,738 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad 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 Illinois Wesleyan University
With a ranking of #24, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $31,174 for great lakes region music composition students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at DePaul University
With a ranking of #25, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #18 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $26,258 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Columbia.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Columbia
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