2025 Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in New York
12
Colleges in New York
190
Music Composition Degrees Awarded
A degree in
music theory & composition is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #390 out of 1506 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in New York ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 190 degrees in music theory & composition to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
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Featured Music Theory & Composition Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More
Choosing a Great Music Theory & Composition School
The music composition program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Music Theory & Composition rankings. We derive our Best Overall Music Theory & Composition School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your Music Theory & Composition Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Music Theory & Composition Schools in New York ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
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Featured Music Theory & Composition Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MBA in Music Business
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Learn More
Best Schools for Music Theory & Composition in New York
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the music composition degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top New York Schools in Music Composition
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In NY
56
Music Composition Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat New York University if you wish to pursue a degree in music theory & composition. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 56 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from New York University
It's hard to beat University of Rochester if you wish to pursue a degree in music theory & composition. Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #82 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.
There were about 16 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from University of Rochester
Masters
Degree Type
MBA in Music Business
Program Name
Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
More information about a degree in MBA in Music Business from Southern New Hampshire University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In NY
The Juilliard School is a great choice for students interested in a degree in music theory & composition. Juilliard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
There were about 13 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at Juilliard in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from The Juilliard School
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In NY
Ithaca College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in music theory & composition. Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Ithaca. This college ranks 23rd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 3 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at Ithaca in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from Ithaca College
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In NY
New School University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #197 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means New School University is a great school overall.
There were roughly 13 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from The New School
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In NY
Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.
There were approximately 2 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from Syracuse University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In NY
Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were about 2 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from Columbia University in the City of New York
Manhattan School of Music is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
There were roughly 19 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at Manhattan School of Music in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from Manhattan School of Music
Purchase College is a small public college located in the suburb of Purchase. This college ranks 53rd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 18 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at Purchase College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from Purchase College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In NY
SUNY Fredonia is a small public school located in the distant town of Fredonia. This school ranks 98th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 3 music theory & composition students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Fredonia in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in music theory & composition from SUNY Fredonia
