Music Theory and Composition Major: Graduates, International Students, Colleges and Careers

Overview

Music Theory and Composition is an academic discipline that focuses on understanding the fundamental principles of music and the creative process of writing original compositions. This field combines theoretical analysis with practical application, allowing students to develop a deep comprehension of musical structures, styles, and historical contexts.

Students in Music Theory and Composition delve into various aspects of music, including harmony, melody, rhythm, and form. They study the works of classical and contemporary composers, analyzing their techniques and innovations. This theoretical background is essential for fostering creativity, as it helps aspiring composers understand the rules and conventions of music, which they can then choose to follow or break in their own works.

In addition to theory, students spend significant time composing original music across various genres, such as orchestral, chamber, choral, and electronic music. They often collaborate with performers and conductors, gaining valuable insights into the practical aspects of bringing their compositions to life. Courses may also include orchestration, counterpoint, and music technology, equipping students with the skills needed for modern composition.

Graduates of Music Theory and Composition can pursue diverse career paths, including roles as composers, arrangers, music educators, and music theorists. They may work in various settings such as universities, conservatories, film studios, or freelance as independent artists. This program not only nurtures musical talent but also fosters critical thinking and analytical skills, essential for success in the ever-evolving music industry.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

703 02

652 03

693 04

709 05

752 06

814 07

830 08

782 09

846 10

904 11

914 12

1,005 13

1,247 14

1,466 15

1,357 16

1,254 17

1,027 18

1,068 19

1,094 20

1,145 21

1,157 22

1,206 23

1,291 24

1,284 25

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2002 to 2025, graduates grew 83% and the international share went from 20.3% to 20.3%.

International share (%)

20 02

21 03

20 04

18 05

17 06

19 07

17 08

16 09

15 10

17 11

17 12

16 13

13 14

13 15

18 16

13 17

15 18

16 19

20 20

20 21

17 22

20 23

18 24

20 25

Graduates by group, 2025

White

47.3%

Asian

6.0%

Hispanic

10.7%

Black

7.3%

Other

8.4%

Intl.

20.3%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 140 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

Rank	School	State	Graduates	International
#4	Yale University	Connecticut	8	2
#5	Stanford University	California	1	1
#9	Northwestern University	Illinois	7	1
#9	Johns Hopkins University	Maryland	20	9
#12	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York	3	2
#14	Carnegie Mellon University	Pennsylvania	5	0
#16	Vanderbilt University	Tennessee	3	0
#16	Rice University	Texas	6	3
#20	University of California-Los Angeles	California	5	1
#25	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Michigan	18	3
#27	University of Southern California	California	12	3
#31	New York University	New York	67	24
#34	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Illinois	1	0
#34	Boston University	Massachusetts	11	3
#34	The University of Texas at Austin	Texas	2	0
#44	University of California-Santa Barbara	California	6	0
#44	Case Western Reserve University	Ohio	2	0
#44	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Ohio	1	0
#49	University of Rochester	New York	12	7
#49	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Washington	7	1
#52	University of Georgia	Georgia	8	0
#55	University of Miami	Florida	36	11
#55	The Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania	2	0
#59	Florida State University	Florida	15	2
#59	Brandeis University	Massachusetts	1	0
#69	Michigan State University	Michigan	16	0
#69	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	New York	2	0
#72	Syracuse University	New York	7	1
#80	Pepperdine University	California	1	0
#85	University at Buffalo	New York	1	0
#85	Southern Methodist University	Texas	2	0
#90	Baylor University	Texas	2	0
#90	Texas Christian University	Texas	3	0
#100	Chapman University	California	6	0
#109	University of California-Santa Cruz	California	3	0
#109	Temple University	Pennsylvania	7	2
#116	University of Oregon	Oregon	14	1
#116	Brigham Young University-Provo	Utah	5	2
#121	Arizona State University-Tempe	Arizona	7	0
#121	University of the Pacific	California	2	0
#121	University of Denver	Colorado	1	0
#137	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	Maryland	4	0
#148	University of Kentucky	Kentucky	1	0
#169	Bradley University	Illinois	1	0
#169	DePaul University	Illinois	5	0
#169	Butler University	Indiana	9	0
#179	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Ohio	20	6
#202	Ohio University-Main Campus	Ohio	4	1
#208	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	North Carolina	5	0
#208	Belmont University	Tennessee	6	0
#208	University of North Texas	Texas	7	1
#227	The New School	New York	11	3
#227	West Chester University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	7	0
#236	Kent State University at Kent	Ohio	4	1
#236	Portland State University	Oregon	2	0
#250	University of Missouri--Kansas City	Missouri	10	4
#262	Central Michigan University	Michigan	3	0
#276	California Baptist University	California	4	0
#276	Western Michigan University	Michigan	3	0
#276	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Ohio	11	2
#288	Biola University	California	2	0
#288	University of Hartford	Connecticut	9	2
#288	Wichita State University	Kansas	8	0
#288	Shenandoah University	Virginia	1	0
#299	Boise State University	Idaho	1	0
#342	Campbell University	North Carolina	1	0
#342	University of Akron	Ohio	2	0
#353	Youngstown State University	Ohio	1	0
#382	Roosevelt University	Illinois	1	0
#382	Regent University	Virginia	1	0
LAC #38	Trinity University	Texas	1	0
LAC #49	St. Olaf College	Minnesota	1	0
LAC #57	Wheaton College (IL)	Illinois	3	0
LAC #59	Oberlin College	Ohio	6	1
LAC #68	Lawrence University	Wisconsin	2	0
LAC #91	Augustana College	Illinois	1	0
LAC #91	College of Wooster	Ohio	6	1
LAC #97	Lewis & Clark College	Oregon	6	1
LAC #100	University of Puget Sound	Washington	1	0
LAC #128	Cornell College	Iowa	1	0
LAC #128	SUNY at Purchase College	New York	24	0
LAC #132	Bennington College	Vermont	2	0
LAC #142	Houghton University	New York	4	0
—	Berklee College of Music	Massachusetts	218	72
—	Los Angeles Film School	California	175	9
—	California Institute of the Arts	California	32	8
—	Academy of Art University	California	22	13
—	The New England Conservatory of Music	Massachusetts	22	18
—	Los Angeles College of Music	California	21	7
—	Manhattan School of Music	New York	19	8
—	CUNY Brooklyn College	New York	18	4
—	University of Redlands	California	13	0
—	Western Connecticut State University	Connecticut	12	0
—	The Juilliard School	New York	10	3
—	Columbia College Chicago	Illinois	9	0
—	Sinclair Community College	Ohio	8	0
—	San Francisco Conservatory of Music	California	7	0
—	Vermont College of Fine Arts	Vermont	7	0
—	Ithaca College	New York	6	0
—	SUNY at Fredonia	New York	6	0
—	Oklahoma City University	Oklahoma	6	1
—	Longy School of Music of Bard College	Massachusetts	5	2
—	Baldwin Wallace University	Ohio	5	0
—	Western Washington University	Washington	5	0
—	Manhattan University	New York	4	0
—	Elmhurst University	Illinois	3	0
—	University of Minnesota-Duluth	Minnesota	3	0
—	Converse University	South Carolina	3	0
—	Lee University	Tennessee	3	0
—	Union University	Tennessee	3	0
—	Amarillo College	Texas	3	0
—	Arizona Christian University	Arizona	2	0
—	University of Northern Iowa	Iowa	2	0