2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region
42
Ranked Colleges
89
Degrees Awarded
$32,000
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2021-2022, 1,194 people earned their degree in music theory & composition, making the major the 390th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 163 music theory & composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 89 music theory & composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,415 and $23,858 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 42 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in music theory & composition. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their music theory & composition program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cleveland Institute of Music. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland Institute of Music is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Cleveland Institute of Music Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lawrence University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region. Lawrence University is a small school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 6 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Lawrence U Music Theory & Composition Report
Out of the 42 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Baldwin Wallace University landed the #3 spot on the list. Berea, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Baldwin Wallace College Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana Wesleyan University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region. Marion, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s music composition degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Indiana Wesleyan University Music Theory & Composition Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Wheaton College Illinois
Oberlin College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Oberlin
With a ranking of #7, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Illinois Wesleyan University Music Theory & Composition Report
Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at WMU
Butler University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Butler Music Theory & Composition Report
Capital University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Capital is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Capital University
With a ranking of #11, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Roosevelt University
With a ranking of #12, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Youngstown State University Music Theory & Composition Report
Cedarville University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedarville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cedarville University Music Theory & Composition Report
Augustana College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Augustana
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Music Theory & Composition Report
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Olivet Nazarene Music Theory & Composition Report
Columbia College Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbia is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Columbia College Chicago Music Theory & Composition Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Bradley University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 87%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Bradley
Northwestern University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Northwestern University
With a ranking of #21, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Central Michigan University
Ball State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Ball State University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full DePaul University Music Theory & Composition Report
Michigan State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 3 bachelors’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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.
Full Michigan State University Music Theory & Composition Report
