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2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

21 Ranked Colleges
115 Degrees Awarded
$27,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Music Theory & Composition is the 415th most popular major in the country with 1,117 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 295 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 115 music theory and composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory and composition. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent music theory and composition programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the music theory and composition program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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.

Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Seattle, Washington 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.

UW Seattle also took the #3 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

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 freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at UCLA

#3

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,884 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

#4

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
#20 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Portland State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Portland State University also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $13,040 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Portland State University

#5

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Washington University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

CWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CWU is $15,397 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at CWU

#6

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#9 in overall quality

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Western Washington University is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $16,529 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid per year to attend Western Washington University.

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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at WWU

#7

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#17 in overall quality

Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $16,358 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu Music Theory & Composition Report

#8

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Northwest University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwest University is located in Kirkland, Washington and, has a small 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 Northwest University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest University is $22,194 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

Since the school has a 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Northwest University

#9

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#10 in overall quality

University of Redlands came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $27,958 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid per year to attend University of Redlands.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at University of Redlands

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 7 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $29,528 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The impressive 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

#11

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#15 in overall quality

University of the Pacific came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stockton, California 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.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $28,929 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

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 1.8% 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 the Pacific Music Theory & Composition Report

#12

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#12 in overall quality

Biola University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in La Mirada, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $31,859 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid per year to attend Biola University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Biola Music Theory & Composition Report

#13

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#18 in overall quality

Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Point Loma Nazarene University is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

PLNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $33,044 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid per year to attend PLNU.

The low 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 more about Music Theory & Composition at PLNU

#14

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

Academy of Art University also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $34,145 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University

#15

Lewis & Clark College

Portland, Oregon
#16 in overall quality

Lewis & Clark College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid list, Lewis and Clark College has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lewis & Clark College is $35,546 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Lewis & Clark College

#16

Whitman College

Walla Walla, Washington
#13 in overall quality

Whitman College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Walla Walla, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Whitman also made our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Whitman College is $38,672 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Full Whitman College Music Theory & Composition Report

#17

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco, California
#7 in overall quality

San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

SFCM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SFCM is $37,649 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full San Francisco Conservatory of Music Music Theory & Composition Report

#18

Chapman University

Orange, California
#5 in overall quality

Chapman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Chapman is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $41,350 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Chapman

#19

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#6 in overall quality

Pepperdine University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pepperdine University is a medium-sized school located in Malibu, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid list, Pepperdine has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine University is $36,996 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Pepperdine Music Theory & Composition Report

#20

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#8 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Valencia, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

CalArts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $50,412 for far western us region bachelor’s degree music composition students with aid per year to attend CalArts.

The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at CalArts

#21

Los Angeles Film School

Hollywood, California
#21 in overall quality

Los Angeles Film School came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Music Composition Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles Film School is a medium-sized school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2019-2020.

LA Film School did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Film School is $30,793 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Music Composition students with aid.

Full Los Angeles Film School Music Theory & Composition Report

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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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