2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
74
Ranked Colleges
297
Degrees Awarded
$37,500
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” ranking.
Music Theory & Composition is the 390th most popular major in the country with 1,175 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 297 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” ranking analyzed 74 colleges that offered a degree 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major”.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Longy School of Music of Bard College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Longy
Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of the Arts landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of the Arts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 21 masters’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Full CalArts Music Theory & Composition Report
Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Vermont College of Fine Arts landed the #3 spot on the list. Vermont College of Fine Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Montpelier, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at VCFA
Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The New England Conservatory of Music landed the #4 spot on the list. The New England Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees 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 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 The New England Conservatory of Music
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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major. SFCM is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 3 masters’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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 SFCM
The Juilliard School came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Juilliard is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at The Juilliard School
Manhattan School of Music landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Manhattan School of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.
Full Manhattan School of Music Music Theory & Composition Report
Academy of Art University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University
With a ranking of #9, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 22 masters’s music composition degrees 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%.
Full Brooklyn College Music Theory & Composition Report
The New School came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
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.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at New School University
With a ranking of #11, Houghton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Houghton College is a small school located in Houghton, New York that handed out 1 masters’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Houghton
Berklee College of Music landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Berklee College of Music
With a ranking of #13, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Missouri - Kansas City
Mills College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Mills is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Mills College
With a ranking of #15, SUNY Fredonia did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. This small school is located in Fredonia, New York, and it awarded 3 masters’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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia
With a ranking of #16, Butler University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Butler University is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Butler
New York University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 40 masters’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at New York University
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at BGSU
Hardin - Simmons University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Hardin - Simmons is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Abilene, Texas. It awarded 1 masters’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Hardin - Simmons University Music Theory & Composition Report
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #20. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Johns Hopkins
Ithaca College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Ithaca Music Theory & Composition Report
Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Roosevelt University Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #23, Oklahoma City University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 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 Oklahoma City University Music Theory & Composition Report
Catholic University of America ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at CUA
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #25. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 14 masters’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Michigan State
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