2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region
27
Ranked Colleges
167
Degrees Awarded
$20,900
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 1,175 people earned their degree in music theory and composition, making the major the 390th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 167 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 27 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Akron Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Akron Main Campus
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 #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 12 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
BGSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at BGSU
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for great lakes region music composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ohio University - Athens Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Michigan University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students per year to attend WMU.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at WMU
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 4 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region music composition students per year to attend Central Michigan University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan
Youngstown State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Full Youngstown State University Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music composition students list, UC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 88%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Sinclair Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 6 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Sinclair Community College
With a ranking of #9, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State University at Kent is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Full Kent State University at Kent Music Theory & Composition Report
Roosevelt University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Roosevelt University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Roosevelt also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $21,678 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Full Roosevelt Music Theory & Composition Report
Ball State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $14,765 for great lakes region music composition students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ball State University
With a ranking of #12, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music composition students list, Michigan State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region music composition students per year to attend Michigan State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Michigan State University
Cedarville University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cedarville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedarville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cedarville also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $22,817 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students per year to attend Cedarville.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cedarville University Music Theory & Composition Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UIUC
Columbia College Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $26,258 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Full Columbia College Chicago Music Theory & Composition Report
Wheaton College Illinois landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,692 for great lakes region music composition students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Wheaton College Illinois Music Theory & Composition Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region music composition students per year to attend Ohio State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ohio State
DePaul University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul also took the #13 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $31,174 for great lakes region music composition students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at DePaul University
Bradley University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music composition students list, Bradley has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,196 for great lakes region music composition students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Bradley University
Baldwin Wallace University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Berea, Ohio, and it awarded 7 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Baldwin Wallace College also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $25,361 for great lakes region music composition students per year to attend Baldwin Wallace University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Baldwin Wallace University Music Theory & Composition Report
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene also took the #25 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $19,470 for great lakes region music composition students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Olivet Nazarene
Capital University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Capital is a small school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Capital also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $20,020 for great lakes region music composition students per year to attend Capital University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Capital Music Theory & Composition Report
Cleveland Institute of Music landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Cleveland Institute of Music also took the #14 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland Institute of Music is $35,600 for great lakes region music composition students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Cleveland Institute of Music
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Music Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Illinois Wesleyan University is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region music composition students list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $34,738 for Great Lakes Region Music Composition students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad 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 Illinois Wesleyan University
college factual
