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Composer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a composer. Composers usually study music, photography, or writing. 67% of composers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,141 real composer resumes to see exactly what composer education sections show.
The most common colleges for composers are the Berklee College of Music and the Berklee College of Music.
There are also many online composer courses to help get the education required to be a composer.
What education do you need to become a composer?
What degree do you need to be a composer?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a composer?
- Music, 43%
- Photography, 10%
- Writing, 7%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for composers
| Composer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | 31.14% |
| New York University | 10.09% |
| Full Sail University | 7.89% |
| University of California - Davis | 4.39% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 3.95% |
Best majors for composers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 42.9% |
| 2 | Photography | 10.0% |
| 3 | Writing | 7.3% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.1% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 4.7% |
Best colleges for composers
The best colleges for composers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A composer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for composers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become composers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for composers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for composers
The most affordable schools for composers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for composers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for composers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for composers
The hardest universities for composers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for composers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for composers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for composers
The easiest schools for composers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a composer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for composers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average composer salary by education level
| Composer education level | Composer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,095 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,885 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $82,047 |
Composer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025