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2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate

32 Ranked Colleges
65 Degrees Awarded
$36,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate” 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 “Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular music theory and composition programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools

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More Music Composition Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree music composition students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Music Theory & Composition Report

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 5 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 95%. 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%.

Full Florida State Music Theory & Composition Report

2

Out of the 32 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, 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%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UC

2
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

Out of the 32 schools in the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oregon landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Music Theory & Composition at UO

2
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Rochester. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Rochester, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Rochester

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #6. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Michigan State University Music Theory & Composition Report

7

The New England Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #7. 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 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 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at The New England Conservatory of Music

7
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’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 1.3% 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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Johns Hopkins University Music Theory & Composition Report

7
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #7, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate 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.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 more about Music Theory & Composition at Brandeis

7
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

University of Miami landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Coral Gables, Florida, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Miami

7

Case Western Reserve University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Cleveland, Ohio 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.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Case Western

7
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #7. Buffalo, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public 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 87%. 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%.

Full University at Buffalo Music Theory & Composition Report

13

California Institute of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #13. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 2 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%. 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 California Institute of the Arts Music Theory & Composition Report

13

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition 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 more about Music Theory & Composition at UC Santa Cruz

13
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

The Juilliard School came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. The Juilliard School is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Juilliard Music Theory & Composition Report

13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #13. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor Music Theory & Composition Report

13
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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. 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.

Full Boston U Music Theory & Composition Report

13
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Rice University Music Theory & Composition Report

19
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

With a ranking of #19, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The Graduate Center, CUNY

19
Five Towns College crest
Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York

Five Towns College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Five Towns College is a private for-profit institution located in Dix Hills, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full Five Towns College Music Theory & Composition Report

19

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Music Theory & Composition Report

19

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of South Carolina - Columbia Music Theory & Composition Report

19

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. UMKC is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 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

24

With a ranking of #24, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Kent State

24

Cleveland Institute of Music ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. Cleveland Institute of Music is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 4 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Cleveland Institute of Music Music Theory & Composition Report

24
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 0 degrees to qualified doctorate’s music composition students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Stanford

24
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #24. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 12 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at USC

24
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #24, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 0 doctorate’s music composition degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Cornell University Music Theory & Composition Report

24
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. CUA is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at CUA

24
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

Manhattan School of Music did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #24. Manhattan School of Music is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 6 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 97%. 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 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%.

Full Manhattan School of Music Music Theory & Composition Report

24
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s music composition degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern University

24

With a ranking of #24, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Music Composition Major for a Doctorate list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 5 doctorate’s music composition 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Brigham Young University - Provo

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