2023 Best Value Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
110
Ranked Colleges
1,175
Degrees Awarded
$16,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Composition Schools” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools” 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Music Composition Schools
The colleges and universities below are the best for music composition students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,474 for Music Composition students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at BYU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma City University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools. Oklahoma City University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $22,910 for Music Composition students per year to attend OCU.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 OCU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,122 for Music Composition students per year to attend UNT.
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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,438 for Music Composition students per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
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 86%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Northern Iowa
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Akron Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for music composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Akron Main Campus
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 12 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,558 for music composition students.
Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Music Theory & Composition Report
El Centro College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking, coming in at #7. El Centro College is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for El Centro College is $4,739 for Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at El Centro College
Liberty University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $29,382 for music composition students per year to attend Liberty University.
Full Liberty University Music Theory & Composition Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $23,831 for Music Composition students.
Full OHIO Athens Music Theory & Composition Report
Western Michigan University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 10 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at WMU
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking, coming in at #11. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $16,007 for music composition students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan University
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking, coming in at #12. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,946 for Music Composition students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Florida State University
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools list. University of Central Oklahoma is a fairly large public school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UCO is $17,339 for Music Composition students.
Full University of Central Oklahoma Music Theory & Composition Report
Youngstown State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools list. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for music composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Youngstown State University
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $18,505 for music composition students.
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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UMN Duluth
The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Graduate Center, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools” ranking.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Music Theory & Composition Report
Wichita State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. Wichita State University is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend WSU is $14,859 for Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Wichita State University
With a ranking of #18, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $11,629 for music composition students.
Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Music Theory & Composition Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for Music Composition students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full UC Music Theory & Composition Report
Sinclair Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for music composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Sinclair Community College
Purchase College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 17 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Purchase College is $17,701 for music composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Purchase College
SUNY Fredonia came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. SUNY Fredonia is a small school located in Fredonia, New York that handed out 9 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,378 for music composition students per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.
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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia
University of Georgia ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $14,257 for Music Composition students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 Georgia
University of Idaho ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools list. U of I is a fairly large school located in Moscow, Idaho that handed out 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for U of I is $13,964 for Music Composition students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Idaho
Central Washington University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools ranking. Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Washington University is $16,514 for Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at CWU
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