2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
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” 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.
This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region.
Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Far Western US Region
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Washington University landed the #1 spot on the list. WWU is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 4 bachelors’s music composition 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. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $16,529 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Western Washington University Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central Washington University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. Central Washington University is a fairly large school located in Ellensburg, Washington that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
CWU also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $15,397 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Central Washington University
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Wazzu is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Wazzu also took the #17 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $16,358 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Washington State University
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Kirkland, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
Northwest University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest University is $22,194 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Northwest University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
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 $34,145 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend Academy of Art University.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University
Portland State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Portland State University is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Portland State University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $13,040 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Full Portland State University Music Theory & Composition Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus 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 ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #3 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 Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
PLNU also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Point Loma Nazarene University is $33,044 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. Biola University is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Biola is $31,859 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara 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 $15,884 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 91%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #12, Whitman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Whitman is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Walla Walla, Washington. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition 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. It costs about $38,672 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Whitman College.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Whitman College
University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Pacific has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $28,929 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
California Institute of the Arts ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. CalArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CalArts also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of the Arts is $50,412 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at California Institute of the Arts
San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SFCM also took the #7 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco Conservatory of Music is $37,649 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at San Francisco Conservatory of Music
University of Redlands ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region 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.
University of Redlands also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $27,958 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend University of Redlands.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Redlands
Lewis & Clark College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Lewis and Clark College also took the #16 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $35,546 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Lewis & Clark College.
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 and Clark College
Chapman University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $41,350 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Pepperdine University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Pepperdine is a medium-sized school located in Malibu, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Pepperdine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $36,996 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Pepperdine University
University of Southern California ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. USC 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $29,528 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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 91%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full University of Southern California Music Theory & Composition Report
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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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