2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s
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 for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 1,117 people earned their degree in music theory and composition, making the major the 415th most popular in the United States.
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” ranking, we looked at 109 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.
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.
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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” 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. 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 for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s. Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is located in San Juan, and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is $5,733 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music Music Theory & Composition Report
Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $15,086 for bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend University of North Texas.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 109 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Florida State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $9,789 for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Florida State University
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,067 for bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
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%.
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #8, SUNY Fredonia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $14,824 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Western Michigan University
Bob Jones University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Greenville, South Carolina 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.
The yearly cost to attend Bob Jones University is $12,923 for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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.
Liberty University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $28,903 for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Union University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $28,249 for bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend Union University.
The low 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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Purchase College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Purchase, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $18,326 for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Purchase College
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $18,394 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
University of Maryland - Baltimore County came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - Baltimore County is $19,082 for bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 87%.
Full University of Maryland - Baltimore County Music Theory & Composition Report
Central Michigan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,981 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan University
Trevecca Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,499 for bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend Trevecca Nazarene University.
With a ranking of #18, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Bellingham, Washington, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $16,529 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
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%.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $21,843 for bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend UC.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
With a ranking of #20, Converse College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Converse is $12,685 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Converse College
Ball State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,147 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Ball State.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ball State University
With a ranking of #22, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UGA is $13,649 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Georgia
University of Idaho came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Moscow, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,132 for bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend U of I.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Idaho
Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $22,906 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at OHIO Athens
Central Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Central Washington University 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.
The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $15,397 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Central Washington University
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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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