Berklee College of Music
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Boston, Massachusetts
Net price / year
$49,465
after grants & scholarships
higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
44%
Graduation rate
67%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 68% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$41,028
4 years after graduating
lower than 92% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Berklee College of Music at a glance
- What is the tuition at Berklee College of Music?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $52,040 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at Berklee College of Music?
- The average cost of attendance is $72,700 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Berklee College of Music?
- The average net price is $49,465 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Berklee College of Music?
- About 44% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- Is Berklee College of Music test optional?
- Test policy reported to the federal government: Tests neither required nor recommended.
- What is the graduation rate at Berklee College of Music?
- 67% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Berklee College of Music earn?
- The median graduate earns $41,028 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- At $49,465 a year, the average net price is higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $42,734 a year on average, versus $54,676 for families earning over $110,000.
- The acceptance rate is 44%, so admission is selective.
- Graduates earn a median $41,028 four years after finishing, less than 92% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Visual and Performing Arts is the largest field of study here, at 57% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Berklee College of Music
Average net price
$49,465 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Berklee College of Music net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$197,860
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $42,734
- $30–48k $37,987
- $48–75k $47,799
- $75–110k $46,801
- $110k+ $54,676
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $72,700
- Tuition & fees$52,040
- Books & supplies$1,085
- Room & board$19,930
- Other expenses$2,623
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $52,040
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $52,040
Berklee College of Music acceptance rate and admissions
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Tests neither required nor recommended
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Berklee College of Music
Graduation rate
67%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
87%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$265
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.6×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 7.8%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 67%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $12,235 · median $33,647 · 75th percentile $61,842
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
How borrowers are doing
One year after leaving school and entering repayment, here is where the 2,027 federal-loan borrowers from this college stood. It covers borrowers only, not students who did not take federal loans.
Repayment status one year after entering repayment
- Paid in full 8%
- Making progress 10%
- Not making progress 10%
- Delinquent 2%
- Default 0%
- Forbearance 57%
- Deferment 11%
- Discharged 1%
What the terms mean
- Paid in full:
- The borrower has paid off the loans completely.
- Making progress:
- Payments are reducing the loan balance, not just covering interest.
- Not making progress:
- The borrower is paying, but not enough to shrink the balance.
- Delinquent:
- Payments are late but the loan is not yet in default.
- Default:
- The borrower has missed payments for so long that the loan is officially in default.
- Forbearance:
- Payments are temporarily paused or reduced, and interest may keep adding up.
- Deferment:
- Payments are on hold for an approved reason, such as returning to school.
- Discharged:
- The loan was cancelled, for example because of a disability or a school closure.
2,027 borrowers · Data period: Borrowers who entered repayment in the AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 cohorts (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Berklee College of Music ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Bachelor's · Graduates: 27 Small sample | $59,703 | 1 yr$40,3244 yrs$59,7035 yrs$54,487 | U.S. median $48,240 U.S. middle half $31.6K–$64.9K · Above the U.S. median | $25,543 |
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other Bachelor's · Graduates: 60 | $48,069 | 1 yr$26,8274 yrs$48,069 | U.S. median $81,678 U.S. middle half $61.6K–$104.2K · Below the U.S. median | $24,544 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications Bachelor's · Graduates: 85 | $40,186 | 1 yr$19,3704 yrs$40,186 | U.S. median $58,894 U.S. middle half $35.5K–$88.2K · Below the U.S. median | $24,250 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 561 | $38,617 | 1 yr$18,1774 yrs$38,6175 yrs$33,368 | U.S. median $42,892 U.S. middle half $26K–$58.8K · Below the U.S. median | $23,392 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other Bachelor's · Graduates: 64 | $37,117 | 1 yr$13,7714 yrs$37,1175 yrs$26,158 | U.S. median $47,629 U.S. middle half $28K–$65.3K · Below the U.S. median | $27,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 30 | $35,702 | 1 yr$22,9934 yrs$35,7025 yrs$19,056 | U.S. median $39,980 U.S. middle half $24.9K–$57.3K · Below the U.S. median | $27,000 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 37.1%
- Black or African American 6.2%
- Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
- Asian 5.7%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
- Two or more races 4.6%
- U.S. nonresident 31.9%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 1.6%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 55%
- Women 45%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
17%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 7,468
- Part-time students
- 20%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 16%
- Receive federal loans
- 34%
- Students per faculty member
- 9 : 1
- Setting
- City
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Where it ranks
This college appears in the top 50 of these TuitionScope rankings.
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts
National rankings
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Berklee College of Music?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Berklee College of Music reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $52,040. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Berklee College of Music?
The average cost of attendance at Berklee College of Music is $72,700 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $49,465 a year. That is higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Berklee College of Music get?
16% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 34% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $42,734 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $54,676 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Berklee College of Music?
Berklee College of Music admitted about 44% of applicants in fall 2024. That makes admission selective.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Berklee College of Music?
67% of first-time, full-time students at Berklee College of Music finish within 150% of normal time. 87% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Berklee College of Music graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $41,028 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $20,342.
Is Berklee College of Music worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Berklee College of Music, the data shows this. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $25,000, about 0.6 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 67% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do Berklee College of Music graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $25,000, or about $265 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things