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

5 Ranked Colleges
47 Degrees Awarded
$43,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master's in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 California, there were 253 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 47 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Master’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 Master’s in California

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

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California

#1

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree music composition students list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Academy of Art University are $27,688, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University

#2

Mills College

Oakland, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mills College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California. Mills is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Mills College are $36,263.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Mills College

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at USC

#4

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of the Arts landed the #4 spot on the list. CalArts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 21 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree music composition students list, CalArts has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Institute of the Arts are $53,466, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California Institute of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report

#5

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco Conservatory of Music landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

SFCM also took the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SFCM are $49,050, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at SFCM

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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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