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Berklee College of Music

#907 in US ranking Boston, MA
Type:
Private not-for-profit
Programs:
4 years or more

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Berklee College of Music award

Cost

Cost / year
$75,678
Tuition & fees
$54,000
Avg. aid
$24,949
Receiving aid
81%

Admissions

Acceptance rate
44%

Outcomes

Graduation rate
67%
Median salary
$28,440
1 yr after graduation

What does Berklee College of Music offer in terms of athletics?

Berklee's student sports opportunities are better understood as recreational and club activities than as a conventional varsity athletics program. Reported activities include soccer, cross-country running, rock climbing, table tennis, and ultimate Frisbee.

Students interested in competition should check which activities are currently organized, whether they compete with other schools, and what participation costs or tryouts apply. The existence of a recreational sport does not establish an NCAA team, a varsity roster, or athletic scholarship eligibility. Berklee's performance and rehearsal schedules may also shape how students fit regular recreation into the week.

What student groups and Associations are available at Berklee College of Music?

Berklee students can participate in student-led groups built around music, professional interests, cultural identity, and other shared activities. Student government and recognized clubs provide ways to organize events and raise student concerns in addition to the ensembles and productions that form part of academic life.

For an applicant, the useful distinction is between a recognized student organization, a course-based ensemble, and an institution-produced performance. They may offer different levels of student control, credit, audition requirements, and time commitments. Berklee's current student-organization directory is the best place to check which groups are active in a particular semester; a past listing does not establish that a club is still meeting.

Who studies at Berklee College of Music?

Berklee reported total enrollment of 8,369 students. Among entering degree-seeking undergraduates, 1,395 were first-time students and 351 were transfer-in students, showing that the student body includes more than one entry pathway.

The institution draws heavily from beyond Massachusetts. In reported geographic figures, 8% of students were state residents, 58% came from other U.S. states, and 34% came from foreign countries. These figures describe origins, not whether a student lives on campus or commutes after enrolling.

Prospective students should be cautious about treating an institution-wide profile as the profile of a particular classroom. Undergraduate music programs, conservatory programs, graduate study, online study, and study in Valencia may bring together different populations and learning arrangements.

How does student life look like at Berklee College of Music?

Everyday student life at Berklee is closely tied to rehearsals, lessons, performances, and collaboration, but students also navigate a dispersed urban campus. Planning time between classes, practice spaces, work, and housing can be an important part of the experience.

Reported housing figures indicate that about 23% of students lived on campus, while about 76% commuted. Those categories make off-campus life a central consideration: classmates may leave after evening activities for different parts of Boston and its surrounding communities. Orientation and student activities can help new students find peers beyond their required classes, while wellness and other support services should be checked by campus and program.

Berklee reports a student-to-faculty ratio of eight to one. That institutional ratio does not mean every class, ensemble, or private lesson has eight students; applicants can learn more by asking how instruction is organized in their intended major.

What libraries are available to students at Berklee College of Music?

The Stan Getz Library is Berklee's main Boston library. Its music-centered resources support study and research through materials such as scores, recordings, books, and electronic resources.

Students can use library research assistance to locate music and performing-arts scholarship and to work with databases and other digital collections. The library's collections and services also include resources that can be useful when a needed item is not on the shelf. Access rules for online materials, borrowing, and interlibrary requests should be checked through current library guidance, particularly by remote students.

The reported library provision does not include a study area open around the clock. Students who rely on late-night study space should check current building hours and consider where they can work between library hours, classes, and rehearsals.

Berklee College of Music Student Life for 2027

Total enrollment

8369

Full Time Degree Seeking Freshmen

1322

Total staff

407 full time, 1015 part time

Veterans affair office

No

Berklee College of Music Student Body

Undergraduate vs. graduate students

Undergraduate: 7,549
Graduate: 820

Full-time vs. part-time students

Full-time: 6,611
Part-time: 1,758

Full-time degree-seeking students by gender

Women: 642
Men: 680

Students by race/ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino: 954
Black or African American: 441
White: 2,557
American Indian or Alaska Native: 10
Asian: 451
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 7
Two or more races: 320
Unknown: 118

Data last updated on November 2, 2026

Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026

Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.

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