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

7 Ranked Colleges
53 Degrees Awarded
$40,700 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's 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. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 53 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking, we looked at 7 colleges that offer a degree in music theory and composition. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in music theory and composition.

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 Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in California

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

Top 7 Most Focused Master’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 Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. This small school is located in Valencia, California, and it awarded 21 masters’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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.

Full California Institute of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report

2
SFCM crest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco Conservatory of Music. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California list. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SFCM Music Theory & Composition Report

3
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy of Art University landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s music composition 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

4
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mills College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California. Located in Oakland, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Mills College

5
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Redlands landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Redlands Music Theory & Composition Report

6
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 8 masters’s music composition degrees 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

7

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in California ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Music Theory & Composition Report

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Notes and References

References

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