2027 Best Value Music Theory & Composition Schools in Massachusetts
[Music Theory & Composition](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/music/music-theory-and-composition/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong music theory & composition education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for music theory & composition students.
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2027 Best Value Music Theory & Composition Schools in Massachusetts
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the music theory & composition degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Music Theory & Composition Schools
Boston University tops our 2027 list of the best value music theory & composition schools in Massachusetts. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,102. Music Theory & Composition graduates carry a median of $26,957 in student loans. Soon after graduation, music theory & composition degree recipients from Boston University generally make around $30,982. That is a strong return on a $26,957 median debt. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Longy School Of Music Of Bard College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value music theory & composition schools. Longy School Of Music Of Bard College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Students from in state pay about $55,275 in tuition and fees. Early-career music theory & composition graduates make about $30,660.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The New England Conservatory Of Music earned it the #3 place for music theory & composition. Located in the city of Boston, The New England Conservatory Of Music is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $60,750. Typical student debt for music theory & composition graduates is $26,991. Early-career music theory & composition graduates make about $24,499. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 41%.
A rank of #4 makes Berklee College Of Music one of the best values for music theory & composition. Berklee College Of Music is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. In-state tuition and fees average $52,040. Students borrow a median of $24,979 to complete the music theory & composition program here. Music Theory & Composition graduates of Berklee College Of Music earn a median of $21,670 early in their careers. Set against $24,979 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Berklee College Of Music admits about 44% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
