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2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region

17 Ranked Colleges
90 Degrees Awarded
$30,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking.

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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 228 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 90 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking looked at 17 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.

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 the Middle Atlantic Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend SUNY Fredonia. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. SUNY Fredonia is a small public school situated in Fredonia, New York. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Fredonia, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $14,824 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend SUNY Fredonia.

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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia

#2

Purchase College

Purchase, New York
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purchase College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Purchase College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $18,326 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Purchase College

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Baltimore, Maryland 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMBC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMBC is $19,082 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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%.

Full UMBC Music Theory & Composition Report

#4

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #4 spot on the list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Brooklyn College has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $2,683 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College Music Theory & Composition Report

#5

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Temple University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $23,521 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Temple

#6

Nazareth College

Rochester, New York
#10 in overall quality

Nazareth College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Nazareth is located in Rochester, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students list, Nazareth has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Nazareth College is $29,994 for middle atlantic 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Nazareth Music Theory & Composition Report

#7

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York
#4 in overall quality

Ithaca College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Ithaca, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ithaca, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $33,465 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Ithaca.

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. 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Ithaca

#8

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $29,342 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins University

#9

Rider University

Lawrenceville, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

Rider University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Rider University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rider did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rider is $27,964 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students.

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.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Rider

#10

Catholic University of America

Washington, District of Columbia
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Catholic University of America did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. CUA is a medium-sized school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CUA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $34,230 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend Catholic University of America.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 CUA

#11

The University of the Arts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, The University of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

UArts also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $40,332 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend The University of the Arts.

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.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The University of the Arts

#12

Manhattan School of Music

New York, New York
#11 in overall quality

Manhattan School of Music ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Manhattan School of Music, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Manhattan School of Music is $54,902 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Manhattan School of Music Music Theory & Composition Report

#13

The Juilliard School

New York, New York
#5 in overall quality

The Juilliard School landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. The Juilliard School is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Juilliard, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $33,535 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students per year to attend The Juilliard School.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Full Juilliard Music Theory & Composition Report

#14

The New School

New York, New York
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, The New School did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

New School University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The New School is $43,334 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students.

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 New School University Music Theory & Composition Report

#15

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Syracuse University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Syracuse, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Syracuse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Syracuse is $34,482 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Syracuse

#16

New York University

New York, New York
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, New York University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

NYU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New York University is $39,772 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree music composition students.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NYU Music Theory & Composition Report

#17

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York
#2 in overall quality

University of Rochester ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. University of Rochester is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 10 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Rochester, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $29,522 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students per year to attend University of Rochester.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Rochester

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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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