2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
74
Ranked Colleges
279
Degrees Awarded
$37,500
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” ranking.
Music Theory & Composition is the 390th most popular major in the country with 1,194 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 279 music theory & composition graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” ranking, we looked at 74 colleges that offer a degree in music theory & composition. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in music theory & composition.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Music Theory & Composition Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major”.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Music Theory & Composition
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Longy School of Music of Bard College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 Longy School of Music of Bard College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of the Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. CalArts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 9 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at CalArts
Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Vermont College of Fine Arts landed the #3 spot on the list. Vermont College of Fine Arts is located in Montpelier, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at VCFA
Out of the 74 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The New England Conservatory of Music landed the #4 spot on the list. The New England Conservatory of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The New England Conservatory of Music
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco Conservatory of Music. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at SFCM
The Juilliard School ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Juilliard is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 7 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at The Juilliard School
With a ranking of #7, Manhattan School of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 8 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Manhattan School of Music
Academy of Art University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 12 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at Academy of Art University
Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #9. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 27 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad 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 Brooklyn College Music Theory & Composition Report
The New School ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 8 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 The New School
Houghton College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Houghton College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houghton, New York. It awarded 1 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Houghton
Berklee College of Music did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #12. Berklee College of Music is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 2 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Berklee College of Music Music Theory & Composition Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at University of Missouri - Kansas City
SUNY Fredonia came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Read full report on Music Theory & Composition at SUNY Fredonia
Butler University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #16. Butler is a medium-sized school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 3 masters’s music composition degrees 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%. 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 Butler Music Theory & Composition Report
New York University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking, coming in at #17. New York University is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 43 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 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 New York University Music Theory & Composition Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at BGSU
Hardin - Simmons University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Abilene, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Hardin - Simmons University Music Theory & Composition Report
Johns Hopkins University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s music composition degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Johns Hopkins
With a ranking of #21, Ithaca College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Ithaca College is a medium-sized school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Ithaca
Roosevelt University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s music composition students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Roosevelt
With a ranking of #23, Oklahoma City University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major list. Oklahoma City University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 OCU Music Theory & Composition Report
Catholic University of America came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. CUA is a small school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 1 masters’s music composition degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at CUA
Michigan State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Music Composition Major ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s music composition degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Music Theory & Composition at Michigan State
