2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 the Great Lakes region, there were 144 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 70 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Youngstown State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio 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 Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Full Youngstown State University Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Michigan University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Kalamazoo, Michigan 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.
WMU also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
BGSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan University
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC is $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Ball State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ball State
With a ranking of #7, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $22,906 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Music Theory & Composition Report
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Music Theory & Composition Report
Cedarville University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedarville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cedarville also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Cedarville is $21,727 for great lakes region 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #10, Indiana Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IWU is $20,946 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Madonna University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Madonna is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Livonia, Michigan. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Madonna University is $17,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Madonna University
Baldwin Wallace University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Baldwin Wallace University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berea, Ohio. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Baldwin Wallace College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baldwin Wallace University is $22,917 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Baldwin Wallace University
Taylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Upland, Indiana 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.
Taylor U also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor U is $25,888 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend UIUC.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Music Theory & Composition Report
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a 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 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
With a ranking of #16, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for great lakes region 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 4.4% 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #17, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Olivet Nazarene University Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #18, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,099 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
Full Columbia College Chicago Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #19, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students.
The school has an impressive 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Michigan State
With a ranking of #20, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,485 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Elmhurst University.
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%.
Roosevelt University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $22,749 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Roosevelt.
Valparaiso University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Valparaiso University is located in Valparaiso, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Valpo also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Valparaiso University is $18,852 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Cleveland Institute of Music ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
Cleveland Institute of Music also took the #18 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,167 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend Cleveland Institute of Music.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Cleveland Institute of Music
With a ranking of #24, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $30,090 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend DePaul University.
The 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 more about Music Theory & Composition at DePaul University
Lawrence University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Appleton, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
Lawrence U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lawrence U is $22,214 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Lawrence 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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