2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (With Aid)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools
The music composition school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.
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. 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.
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition (With Aid)
Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,297 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is a small public school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music is $5,733 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music
Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The University of Texas at Austin
Out of the 110 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Florida State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $9,789 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
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 full report on Music Theory & Composition at Florida State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brooklyn College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $2,683 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
The school has an impressive 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 Brooklyn College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of North Texas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,086 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid per year to attend UNT.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #9, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $13,322 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Brigham Young University - Provo
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Los Angeles, California 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.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid per year to attend UCLA.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Music Theory & Composition Report
SUNY Fredonia ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fredonia, New York, this small public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,824 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia
Michigan State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. East Lansing, Michigan 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.
Michigan State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,173 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State University Music Theory & Composition Report
Ball State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 $15,147 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ball State University
University of Northern Iowa came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Northern Iowa Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
With a ranking of #16, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $13,649 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Georgia
Rice University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. 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.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid list, Rice has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $16,999 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Rice University
University of Maryland - Baltimore County did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. UMBC is a fairly large public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UMBC is $19,082 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Arizona State University - Tempe
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Youngstown State University is a public institution located in Youngstown, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
Full Youngstown State University Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #21, University of Idaho did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Idaho is $14,132 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,643 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.
Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Music Theory & Composition Report
Portland State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Portland State University is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $13,040 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Portland State University
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. TNU is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,499 for Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid per year to attend Trevecca Nazarene University.
Central Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. CWU is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $15,397 for bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.
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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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