2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k)
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 “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 1,117 people earned their degree in music theory and composition, making the major the 415th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 595 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 110 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great music theory and composition programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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.
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 97%.
Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #2 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $3,526 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Johns Hopkins University Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,156 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
The impressive 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Vanderbilt University
Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Rice also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $3,437 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $5,360 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Florida State University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Music Theory & Composition Report
University of North Texas ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Michigan State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
UCLA also took the #8 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Oberlin College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oberlin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
Oberlin also took the #10 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $9,037 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Brooklyn College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,106 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 more about Music Theory & Composition at Brooklyn College
With a ranking of #14, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Olaf is $12,459 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at St Olaf College
University of Georgia came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $7,541 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of Georgia
Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is a public institution located in San Juan, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is $5,759 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music Music Theory & Composition Report
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,203 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The University of Texas at Austin
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Maryland - Baltimore County did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. UMBC is a fairly large public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - Baltimore County is $10,820 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 ranking of #20, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,834 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BYU.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Brigham Young University - Provo
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,443 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at UMN Duluth
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of Northern Iowa came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UNI is $10,757 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Northern Iowa
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Ball State University
SUNY Fredonia ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Fredonia is a small school located in Fredonia, New York that handed out 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for bachelor’s degree music composition students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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