Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Music Theory & Composition

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Far Western US Region

4 Ranked Colleges
16 Degrees Awarded
$43,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Doctorate in the Far Western US Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 16 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,342 and $136,270 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools

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 Doctorate in the Far Western US Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Doctorate in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region.

Top 5 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Far Western US Region

#1

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oregon landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Oregon is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 3 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UO, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oregon are $29,991, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UO

#2

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Cruz. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Santa Cruz are $28,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Southern California

#4

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of the Arts. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. CalArts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

CalArts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CalArts are $53,466, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at California Institute of the Arts

#5

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Stanford Music Theory & Composition Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You