Music Theory & Composition

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    Total Degrees​
    Awarded in 2024
    1,336
    growing 8.09%
    Median In-State​
    Public Tuition
    $8,935
    growing 7.44%
    Median Out-of-State​
    Private Tuition
    $45,682
    growing 1.21%
    Average Wage
    $76,381
    growing 3.24%
    People in Workforce
    2.44M
    growing 3.34%
    Average Employee Age
    41.4
    growing 0.186%

    About

    Photo by hobvias sudoneighm
    Visual & Performing ArtsMusic

    Institutions

    Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Music Theory & Composition and the types of students that study this field. Berklee College of Music awards the most degrees in Music Theory & Composition in the US, but Los Angeles College of Music and Los Angeles Film School have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Music Theory & Composition.

    Tuition costs for Music Theory & Composition majors are, on average, $8,935 for in-state public colleges, and $45,682 for out of state private colleges.

    The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Music Theory & Composition programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (125 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (736 completions).

    Institutions

    Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Music Theory & Composition (2024)
    1. Berklee College of Music
      271 degrees awarded
    2. Los Angeles Film School
      219 degrees awarded
    3. New York University
      64 degrees awarded

    The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Music Theory & Composition, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (736 completions in 2024).

    The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Music Theory & Composition programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

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    Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

    $8,935
    Median In-State Public
    $45,682
    Median Out of State Private

    Berklee College of Music has the most Music Theory & Composition degree recipients, with 271 degrees awarded in 2024.

    The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Music Theory & Composition.

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    Specialized Colleges

    Highest Concentration Institution
    1. Los Angeles College of Music
      27.9%
    2. Los Angeles Film School
      17.1%
    3. Berklee College of Music
      13%

    Out of all institutions that offer Music Theory & Composition programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Los Angeles College of Music has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Music Theory & Composition, with 27.9%.

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    Employment

    Information on the businesses and industries that employ Visual & Performing Arts graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

    The average salary for Visual & Performing Arts majors is $76,381 and the most common occupations are Graphic designers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

    The industry that employs the most Visual & Performing Arts majors is Elementary & secondary schools, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals.

    Yearly Income for Common Jobs

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    $76,381
    Average Wage in Workforce
    ± $1,278
    3.24%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 2.32%

    The average salary for Visual & Performing Arts majors is $76,381 and the most common occupations are Graphic designers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

    This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Visual & Performing Arts majors.

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    Highest Paying Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    Highest Paying Pumas
    1. North Delta Region PUMA, MS
      $252,546
    2. Alameda County (South)--Newark, Union City (West) & Fremont (West) Cities PUMA, CA
      $196,595
    3. Houston-Galveston Area Council--Brazoria County (Southwest), Lake Jackson City PUMA, TX
      $190,794

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Visual & Performing Arts majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Visual & Performing Arts majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The most common occupations for Visual & Performing Arts majors, by number of employees, are Graphic designers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

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    Most Specialized

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Visual & Performing Arts majors working as Artists & related workers, Designers, and Musicians, singers, & related workers.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The highest paid occupations by median income for Visual & Performing Arts majors are Pumping station operators, Surgeons, and Physicians.

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    Occupations by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    2.44M
    2024 Workforce
    ± 38,050
    3.34%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 2.15%

    The number of Visual & Performing Arts graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.34%, from 2.36M in 2023 to 2.44M in 2024.

    The largest single share of Visual & Performing Arts graduates go on to work as Graphic designers (4.42%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Visual & Performing Arts by share of the total number of graduates.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The most common industries that employ Visual & Performing Arts majors, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, and Computer Systems Design.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The highest paying industries of Visual & Performing Arts majors, by average wage, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals, Petroleum refining, and Software publishers.

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    Industries by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    2.44M
    2024 Workforce
    ± 38,050
    3.34%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 2.15%

    The number of Visual & Performing Arts graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.34%, from 2.36M in 2023 to 2.44M in 2024.

    The industry which employs the most Visual & Performing Arts graduates by share is Elementary & secondary schools, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Visual & Performing Arts.

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    Specialty Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    PUMAS with a relatively high number of Visual & Performing Arts majors
    1. Los Angeles County (Central)--LA City (Central) PUMA, CA
      7.47
    2. NYC-Brooklyn Community District 4--Bushwick PUMA, NY
      6.73
    3. Los Angeles County (Central)--West Hollywood & Beverly Hills Cities PUMA, CA
      6.68

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Visual & Performing Arts majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Visual & Performing Arts majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Diversity

    Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Visual & Performing Arts in the United States.

    The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Visual & Performing Arts is 41.4.

    N/A Male employees are more likely to hold Visual & Performing Arts degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Visual & Performing Arts (640 students).

    Workforce Age

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    41.4
    Average Age in 2024
    ± 0.203 Years
    0.186%
    1 Year Change
    ± 0.699%

    This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Visual & Performing Arts. The most common ages of employees with this major are 32 and 33 years old, which represent 3.33% and 3.22% of the population, respectively.

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    Workforce Degrees

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The most common degree types held by the working population in Visual & Performing Arts are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

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    Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

    Male (68.3%)
    Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

    This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Music Theory & Composition.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

    Degrees
    Most Common Race or Ethnicity
    1. White
      640 degrees awarded in 2024
    2. Non-resident Alien
      235 degrees awarded in 2024
    3. Hispanic or Latino
      160 degrees awarded in 2024

    This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Music Theory & Composition for each race & ethnicity.

    In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Degrees
    Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination
    1. White Male
      259 degrees awarded
    2. White Female
      124 degrees awarded
    3. Hispanic or Latino Male
      70 degrees awarded

    This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in Music Theory & Composition.

    White Male students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

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    Global Diversity

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Music Theory & Composition is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    Most Common Countries of Origin
    1. Korea
      28,018 degree recipients
    2. Mexico
      22,116 degree recipients
    3. China
      19,777 degree recipients
    High Relative Number of Students
    1. Korea
      4.47 times more than expected
    2. New Zealand
      3.74 times more than expected
    3. Iceland
      3.57 times more than expected

    There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Korea that hold Visual & Performing Arts degrees (4.47 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is Korea (28,018 degree recipients).

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    Skills

    Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Music Theory & Composition field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Music Theory & Composition majors need many skills, but most especially Active Listening. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Music Theory & Composition majors need more than the average amount of Management of Financial Resources, Management of Personnel Resources, and Negotiation.

    These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Music Theory & Composition majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Management of Financial Resources is very distinctive for majors, but the Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Speaking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

    Radar Distribution

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    Bar Chart

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