About This Data

Most Popular Schools for Music Theory and Composition Major & Degree Program

A program that focuses on the study of the principles of sound manipulation as applied to the creation of music, and the techniques of creating and arranging music. Includes instruction in aural theory, melody, counterpoint, complex harmony, modulation, chromatics, improvisation, progressions, musical writing, instrumentation, orchestration, electronic and computer applications, studies of specific musical styles, and development of original creative ability.


Looking for online degree programs? Get the facts on accredited college degree programs online!

Rank School Name Students % of Total Total On-Campus Cost
1 Full Sail University 124 2% $24,639
2 Berklee College of Music 68 5% $65,144
3 DePaul University 64 1% $57,678
4 New York University 49 0% $73,566
5 California Institute of the Arts 42 11% $71,135
6 Western Connecticut State University 24 2% $27,481
7 SUNY at Purchase College 18 2% $26,982
8 Johns Hopkins University 17 0% $71,901
9 Vermont College of Fine Arts 17 10% N/A
10 Lewis & Clark College 15 2% $66,526
11 Manhattan School of Music 15 5% $68,685
12 San Francisco Conservatory of Music 14 9% $66,900
13 University of Miami 14 0% $68,460
14 Michigan State University 13 0% $28,862
15 Academy of Art University 13 1% $44,226
16 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus 13 0% $27,476
17 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus 12 0% $24,915
18 The New England Conservatory of Music 12 5% $67,650
19 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 11 0% $30,298
20 Butler University 10 1% $59,660
21 University of Rochester 10 0% $72,721
22 University of Southern California 10 0% $74,825
23 University of Georgia 10 0% $26,688
24 The New School 10 0% $71,361
25 Florida State University 9 0% $22,168
26 Boston University 9 0% $72,618
27 University of Missouri-Kansas City 9 0% $24,116
28 Northwest Vista College 9 0% $4,311
29 The Juilliard School 9 3% $65,610
30 Amarillo College 8 0% $3,826
31 Ithaca College 8 1% $62,757
32 Western Michigan University 8 0% $26,009
33 Brigham Young University-Provo 7 0% $18,776
34 Oberlin College 7 1% $74,636
35 University of Oregon 7 0% $27,366
36 Carnegie Mellon University 7 0% $72,283
37 Musicians Institute 7 2% $42,255
38 CUNY Brooklyn College 6 0% $8,604
39 University of North Texas 6 0% $24,712
40 Los Angeles College of Music 6 15% $25,204
41 Portland State University 5 0% $26,085
42 University of California-Santa Barbara 5 0% $36,659
43 Temple University 5 0% $33,004
44 Cedar Valley College 5 0% $3,770
45 Columbia College Chicago 5 0% $45,644
46 Baldwin Wallace University 5 1% $47,528
47 Rider University 5 0% $62,140
48 Northwestern University 5 0% $74,649
49 Bennington College 4 2% $73,270
50 Sinclair Community College 4 0% $3,830
51 Mills College 4 1% $47,784
52 Central Michigan University 4 0% $24,889
53 Lawrence University 4 1% $60,141
54 Trevecca Nazarene University 4 1% $39,484
55 Western Washington University 4 0% $24,077
56 DigiPen Institute of Technology 4 2% $46,220
57 Los Angeles Film School 4 0% N/A
58 Youngstown State University 3 0% $22,851
59 University of Idaho 3 0% $21,350
60 Shenandoah University 3 0% $47,000
61 Biola University 3 0% $56,956
62 Houghton College 3 1% $45,626
63 The College of Idaho 3 1% $43,349
64 Belmont University 3 0% $52,760
65 Rice University 3 0% $65,150
66 Baylor University 3 0% $62,527
67 Madonna University 3 0% $35,670
68 Longy School of Music of Bard College 3 3% $43,365
69 SUNY at Fredonia 3 0% $23,902
70 SUNY College at Potsdam 3 0% $24,914
71 The University of the Arts 3 1% $67,741
72 Arizona State University-Tempe 2 0% $28,048
73 College of the Ozarks 2 1% $30,220
74 Stetson University 2 0% $63,282
75 University of West Georgia 2 0% $24,396
76 University of Central Oklahoma 2 0% $24,091
77 Lynn University 2 0% $56,823
78 Nazareth College 2 0% $50,235
79 University of Denver 2 0% $67,656
80 Converse College 2 1% $34,230
81 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2 0% $30,102
82 Syracuse University 2 0% $70,636
83 University of the Pacific 2 0% $66,971
84 Wheaton College 2 0% $49,300
85 Illinois Wesleyan University 2 0% $61,020
86 Southern Methodist University 2 0% $74,737
87 Trinity University 2 0% $58,840
88 Loyola University New Orleans 2 0% $56,564
89 East Carolina University 2 0% $21,672
90 Oral Roberts University 2 0% $42,660
91 Oklahoma City University 2 0% $44,172
92 Catholic University of America 2 0% $64,560
93 Liberty University 2 0% $40,075
94 Keene State College 2 0% $27,988
95 Campbell University 2 0% $49,640
96 The College of Wooster 2 0% $64,000
97 Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico 2 3% $5,170
98 University of St Thomas 2 0% $47,646
99 Ohio State University-Main Campus 1 0% $27,367
100 Kent State University at Kent 1 0% $25,886

This list indicates the number of students that completed the Music Theory and Composition program at the schools above.
It is not necessarily an indicator of academic rigor or quality of education.
Note that some schools do not have enough data to be ranked, and these schools will not appear in our lists.