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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California

20 Ranked Colleges
328 Degrees Awarded
$39,600 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Music Theory & Composition is the 390th most popular major in the country with 1,175 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 328 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking looked at 20 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.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California

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

Top 20 Most Focused Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in California

1
LACM crest
Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, California

Out of the 20 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Los Angeles College of Music landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 21 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Los Angeles College of Music

2
LA Film School crest
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles Film School. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California. This medium-sized school is located in Hollywood, California, and it awarded 181 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Los Angeles Film School Music Theory & Composition Report

3
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 #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full California Institute of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report

4
Musicians Institute crest
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, California

Out of the 20 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Musicians Institute landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Hollywood, California, and it awarded 18 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full Musicians Institute Music Theory & Composition Report

5
SFCM crest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 5 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at SFCM

6
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

7
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking. Biola is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Biola University

8
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

Mills College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Mills is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Mills

9
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution located in Redlands, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s 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%.

Full University of Redlands Music Theory & Composition Report

10
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees 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%.

Full Cal Baptist Music Theory & Composition Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 7 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UCSB

12
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. Chapman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Chapman University

13
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 12 ’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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Southern California

14
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

With a ranking of #14, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.7% 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 University of the Pacific

15

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UC Santa Cruz

16
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking. Pepperdine is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Pepperdine University

17

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 University of California - Los Angeles

18
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking. Point Loma Nazarene University is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 0 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Point Loma Nazarene University

18
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

Pacific Union College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. This small school is located in Angwin, California, and it awarded 0 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Pacific Union College Music Theory & Composition Report

18
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 0 ’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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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