Music Theory and Composition Colleges

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.

Birmingham Southern College

Birmingham, Alabama
Avg. School Cost:
$ 20,810 per year

Oakwood College

Huntsville, Alabama
Avg. School Cost:
$ 11,042 per year

Samford University

Birmingham, Alabama
Avg. School Cost:
$ 14,642 per year

Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus

Tempe, Arizona
Avg. School Cost:
$ 4,311 per year (In-State)
$ 15,000 per year (Out-of-State)

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Avg. School Cost:
$ 14,218 per year

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
Avg. School Cost:
$ 27,260 per year

Chapman University

Orange, California
Avg. School Cost:
$ 28,050 per year

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
Avg. School Cost:
$ 30,770 per year

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
Avg. School Cost:
$ 20,200 per year

Western Connecticut State University

Danbury, Connecticut
Avg. School Cost:
$ 3,034 per year (In-State)
$ 9,820 per year (Out-of-State)

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
Avg. School Cost:
$ 6,614 per year (In-State)
$ 16,770 per year (Out-of-State)

Catholic University of America

Washington, District of Columbia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 24,800 per year

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Avg. School Cost:
$ 2,147 per year (In-State)
$ 14,654 per year (Out-of-State)

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, Florida
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,970 per year

Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, Florida
Avg. School Cost:
$ 21,250 per year

Stetson University

Deland, Florida
Avg. School Cost:
$ 23,750 per year

Clayton State University

Morrow, Georgia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 2,438 per year (In-State)
$ 9,754 per year (Out-of-State)

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 2,438 per year (In-State)
$ 9,754 per year (Out-of-State)

Toccoa Falls College

Toccoa Falls, Georgia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 12,050 per year

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 3,638 per year (In-State)
$ 15,858 per year (Out-of-State)

Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, Idaho
Avg. School Cost:
$ 17,280 per year

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
Avg. School Cost:
$ 3,968 per year (In-State)
$ 12,738 per year (Out-of-State)

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
Avg. School Cost:
$ 18,500 per year

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
Avg. School Cost:
$ 22,789 per year

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
Avg. School Cost:
$ 27,474 per year

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
Avg. School Cost:
$ 31,644 per year

Butler University

Indianapolis, Indiana
Avg. School Cost:
$ 23,530 per year

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana
Avg. School Cost:
$ 22,000 per year

Centenary College of Louisiana

Shreveport, Louisiana
Avg. School Cost:
$ 17,750 per year

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
Avg. School Cost:
$ 31,620 per year

Berklee College of Music

Boston, Massachusetts
Avg. School Cost:
$ 21,790 per year

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
Avg. School Cost:
$ 31,530 per year

Longy School of Music

Cambridge, Massachusetts
Avg. School Cost:
$ 28,000 per year

The New England Conservatory of Music

Boston, Massachusetts
Avg. School Cost:
$ 27,500 per year

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Avg. School Cost:
$ 6,390 per year (In-State)
$ 14,850 per year (Out-of-State)

Henry Ford Community College

Dearborn, Michigan
Avg. School Cost:
$ 1,368 per year (In-District)
$ 2,688 per year (In-State)
$ 2,880 per year (Out-of-State)

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
Avg. School Cost:
$ 7,160 per year (In-District)
$ 7,161 per year (In-State)
$ 18,861 per year (Out-of-State)

Oakland University

Rochester, Michigan
Avg. School Cost:
$ 5,636 per year (In-State)
$ 13,035 per year (Out-of-State)

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,366 per year

Northwestern College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,100 per year

Rochester Community and Technical College

Rochester, Minnesota
Avg. School Cost:
$ 3,742 per year (In-State)
$ 7,484 per year (Out-of-State)

St. Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
Avg. School Cost:
$ 26,500 per year

Mississippi College

Clinton, Mississippi
Avg. School Cost:
$ 11,400 per year

Drury University

Springfield, Missouri
Avg. School Cost:
$ 14,348 per year

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
Avg. School Cost:
$ 6,495 per year (In-State)
$ 16,272 per year (Out-of-State)

William Jewell College

Liberty, Missouri
Avg. School Cost:
$ 18,200 per year

The University of Montana-Missoula

Missoula, Montana
Avg. School Cost:
$ 3,653 per year (In-State)
$ 12,570 per year (Out-of-State)

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Omaha, Nebraska
Avg. School Cost:
$ 4,133 per year (In-State)
$ 12,180 per year (Out-of-State)

Keene State College

Keene, New Hampshire
Avg. School Cost:
$ 5,410 per year (In-State)
$ 12,250 per year (Out-of-State)

Rider University

Lawrence Township, New Jersey
Avg. School Cost:
$ 22,910 per year

Rowan University

Glassboro, New Jersey
Avg. School Cost:
$ 6,294 per year (In-State)
$ 12,588 per year (Out-of-State)

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York
Avg. School Cost:
$ 25,194 per year

Manhattan School of Music

New York, New York
Avg. School Cost:
$ 26,000 per year

Nazareth College of Rochester

Rochester, New York
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,214 per year

New York University

New York, New York
Avg. School Cost:
$ 29,890 per year

Campbell University Inc

Buies Creek, North Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 15,500 per year

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 2,135 per year (In-State)
$ 12,649 per year (Out-of-State)

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 2,028 per year (In-State)
$ 13,296 per year (Out-of-State)

Baldwin-Wallace College

Berea, Ohio
Avg. School Cost:
$ 20,518 per year

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, Ohio
Avg. School Cost:
$ 7,314 per year (In-State)
$ 14,310 per year (Out-of-State)

Cedarville University

Cedarville, Ohio
Avg. School Cost:
$ 17,120 per year

Cleveland Institute of Music

Cleveland, Ohio
Avg. School Cost:
$ 25,870 per year

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma
Avg. School Cost:
$ 12,924 per year

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Avg. School Cost:
$ 16,700 per year

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Avg. School Cost:
$ 15,400 per year

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Avg. School Cost:
$ 18,780 per year

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
Avg. School Cost:
$ 4,164 per year (In-State)
$ 15,996 per year (Out-of-State)

Willamette University

Salem, Oregon
Avg. School Cost:
$ 28,250 per year

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Avg. School Cost:
$ 32,592 per year

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Avg. School Cost:
$ 31,650 per year

Curtis Institute of Music

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Avg. School Cost:
$ 1,800 per year

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Avg. School Cost:
$ 9,140 per year (In-State)
$ 16,736 per year (Out-of-State)

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island
Avg. School Cost:
$ 5,258 per year (In-State)
$ 17,900 per year (Out-of-State)

Converse College

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 21,176 per year

Furman University

Greenville, South Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 25,888 per year

Newberry College

Newberry, South Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 18,170 per year

North Greenville University

Tigerville, South Carolina
Avg. School Cost:
$ 10,350 per year

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee
Avg. School Cost:
$ 16,360 per year

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee
Avg. School Cost:
$ 13,580 per year

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee
Avg. School Cost:
$ 15,900 per year

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
Avg. School Cost:
$ 30,920 per year

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,050 per year

Cedar Valley College

Lancaster, Texas
Avg. School Cost:
$ 990 per year (In-District)
$ 1,800 per year (In-State)
$ 2,880 per year (Out-of-State)

Dallas Baptist University

Dallas, Texas
Avg. School Cost:
$ 12,270 per year

Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, Texas
Avg. School Cost:
$ 13,650 per year

Brigham Young University

Provo, Utah
Avg. School Cost:
$ 3,410 per year

Bennington College

Bennington, Vermont
Avg. School Cost:
$ 32,700 per year

Randolph-Macon Woman's College

Lynchburg, Virginia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 22,550 per year

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,900 per year

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
Avg. School Cost:
$ 4,143 per year (In-State)
$ 12,477 per year (Out-of-State)

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
Avg. School Cost:
$ 4,044 per year (In-State)
$ 13,317 per year (Out-of-State)

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington
Avg. School Cost:
$ 15,300 per year

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
Avg. School Cost:
$ 5,077 per year (In-State)
$ 14,085 per year (Out-of-State)

Lawrence University

Appleton, Wisconsin
Avg. School Cost:
$ 27,714 per year

Northland College

Ashland, Wisconsin
Avg. School Cost:
$ 19,135 per year

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
Avg. School Cost:
$ 2,208 per year (In-State)
$ 7,320 per year (Out-of-State)