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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California

4 Ranked Colleges
4 Degrees Awarded
$41,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 California, there were 328 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 4 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,525 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking looked at 4 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their music theory and composition program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California”.

Top 4 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California

1
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of the Arts. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. CalArts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at CalArts

2

Out of the 4 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at UC Santa Cruz

3
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California 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 12 doctorate’s degrees 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 impressive undergraduate 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. Stanford, California 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 0 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Stanford University

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References

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