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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California

12 Ranked Colleges
82 Degrees Awarded
$31,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in California” 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.

Across California, there were 253 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 82 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality music theory and composition programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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 California” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree music composition students.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California

#1

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 #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students 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 UCLA Music Theory & Composition Report

#2

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of California - Santa Barbara

#3

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,145 for california bachelor’s degree music composition students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University

#4

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #4 spot on the list. Point Loma Nazarene University is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

PLNU also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $33,044 for california bachelor’s degree music composition students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 PLNU

#5

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Biola University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Biola University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Biola University.

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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Biola

#6

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#10 in overall quality

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,929 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Pacific.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of the Pacific Music Theory & Composition Report

#7

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California Institute of the Arts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

CalArts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CalArts is $50,412 for california 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at California Institute of the Arts

#8

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music composition students list, SFCM has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFCM is $37,649 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at San Francisco Conservatory of Music

#9

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $27,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

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

#10

Chapman University

Orange, California
#4 in overall quality

Chapman University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chapman 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Chapman has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Chapman Music Theory & Composition Report

#11

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Pepperdine 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 California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine University is $36,996 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

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%.

Full Pepperdine Music Theory & Composition Report

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree music composition students list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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.

Full USC 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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