2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major
32
Ranked Colleges
65
Degrees Awarded
$36,700
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Music Theory & Composition is the 390th most popular major in the country with 1,175 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 65 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in music theory and composition.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree music composition students.
Top 32 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The New England Conservatory of Music landed the #1 spot on the list. The New England Conservatory of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The New England Conservatory of Music
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The Juilliard School landed the #2 spot on the list. Juilliard is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at The Juilliard School
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Five Towns College landed the #3 spot on the list. Five Towns College is located in Dix Hills, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Five Towns College Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of the Arts. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major. CalArts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 California Institute of the Arts
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandeis University landed the #5 spot on the list. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at Brandeis
With a ranking of #6, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Full University of Rochester Music Theory & Composition Report
Rice University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Rice
University of Oregon landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Eugene, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Oregon
Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #9. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Case Western Reserve University
University of Miami did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #10. Coral Gables, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at U Miami
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 6 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full UC Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #13, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Florida State Music Theory & Composition Report
The Graduate Center, CUNY ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Music Theory & Composition Report
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UC Santa Cruz
University at Buffalo landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. University at Buffalo is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University at Buffalo
Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 4 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full Michigan State Music Theory & Composition Report
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #18. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins
University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full UMKC Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #20, Boston University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Boston U is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Boston University Music Theory & Composition Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #22, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UofSC
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Cleveland Institute of Music landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 4 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Cleveland Institute of Music
Catholic University of America came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. CUA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at CUA
Cornell University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Cornell University
Manhattan School of Music ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Manhattan School of Music is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Manhattan School of Music
With a ranking of #24, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 0 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Stanford University
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 97%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern University
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #24. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full BYU Music Theory & Composition Report
college factual
