by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 92 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 707 bachelor's degrees in music theory & composition during the <nil> academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
The music composition bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality music composition program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for music theory & composition students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for music theory & composition students seeking a a bachelor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in music theory & composition has to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Northwestern University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in music theory & composition. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Vanderbilt University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in music theory & composition. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Vanderbilt University
It is difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in music theory & composition. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from University of Southern California
Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from New York University
Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Michigan State University
Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Boston University
Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from University of Rochester
Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Carnegie Mellon University
Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Johns Hopkins University
Belmont is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Belmont University
Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Texas Christian University
Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Ithaca.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Ithaca College
U Miami is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Coral Gables.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from University of Miami
Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from Florida State University
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from University of California - Los Angeles
New School University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in music theory & composition from The New School
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX |
| 20 | The Juilliard School | New York, NY |
| 21 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 22 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 23 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 24 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 25 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 26 | Berklee College of Music | Boston, MA |
| 27 | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX |
| 28 | Manhattan School of Music | New York, NY |
| 29 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 30 | University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT |
View the Best Music Theory & Composition Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 17 majors within the Music area of study, Music Theory & Composition has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Music | 7,446 |
| Music Performance | 3,919 |
| Music Technology | 892 |
| Other Music | 813 |
| Jazz Studies | 377 |
| Voice Performance | 313 |
| Stringed Instruments | 203 |
| Keyboard Instruments | 163 |
| Music History | 144 |
| Music Pedagogy | 126 |
