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The New England Conservatory of Music

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

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Cost

Cost / year
$84,200
Tuition & fees
$59,960
Avg. aid
$26,644
Receiving aid
99%

Admissions

Acceptance rate
41%

Outcomes

Graduation rate
73%
Median salary
$19,464
1 yr after graduation

What does The New England Conservatory of Music offer in terms of athletics?

NEC is a music conservatory, not a conventional varsity-sports campus. Its published athletics information does not identify an NCAA team program or athletic conference for prospective students to join.

Students who want regular exercise should look at current campus wellness and recreation information and nearby community facilities rather than assume that NEC offers a particular club or intramural sport. Anyone seeking collegiate competition should verify an actual participation arrangement before treating athletics as part of an enrollment plan.

What student groups and Associations are available at The New England Conservatory of Music?

Student involvement at NEC includes student-led activities and opportunities to represent peers, alongside the many ensembles that are part of academic and performance life. An ensemble assigned through a degree program is not necessarily a student-run club, so the distinction matters to applicants seeking activities outside coursework.

Recognized groups and their activity can change from year to year. NEC's current student-life roster is the place to check which student government, cultural, identity-based, service, or interest groups are active and how to join them. Students can also take part in choral and theater activity, though participation requirements and audition processes vary.

Who studies at The New England Conservatory of Music?

NEC is a relatively small institution, with reported enrollment of 853 students. Its first-time degree-seeking undergraduate entering group numbered 125 in the reported enrollment data, while 11 degree-seeking undergraduates entered as transfers. Those counts describe different enrollment categories, not the size of every class or studio.

The entering-student geographic profile is notably international: the reported distribution was 40% from foreign countries, 47% from other U.S. states, and 13% from Massachusetts. These figures describe a particular entering population, not necessarily all enrolled students. They suggest that applicants moving to Boston should give practical attention to housing, travel, and - for international students - visa and work-authorization rules, without assuming that students from any one origin share the same experience.

How does student life look like at The New England Conservatory of Music?

Everyday life at NEC is shaped by lessons, rehearsals, classes, practice, and performances. Its small institutional size means that campus activity is concentrated around music-making rather than the broad array of departments found at a large university.

Public concerts and student performances provide ways to hear peers and work across disciplines. NEC also reports a health clinic and personal or psychological counseling; students should check current appointment arrangements and any coverage requirements. Orientation, student activities, and shared spaces can help new students make connections, while commuters and residents may organize their days differently around rehearsals and evening events.

What libraries are available to students at The New England Conservatory of Music?

The Blumenthal Family Library is NEC's main academic library. For a music student, its value extends beyond books: scores, recordings, music scholarship, and research tools support repertoire selection, performance preparation, composition, and written coursework.

Students should consult the library's catalog and digital-resource listings for specific scores, journals, recordings, and databases, including any off-campus access rules. Library staff can help with research questions and locating material not immediately held at NEC; borrowing options and access to specialized collections may vary by item. Applicants who rely on particular editions or archival resources should check availability rather than assume every work is held locally.

The New England Conservatory of Music Student Life for 2027

Total enrollment

853

Full Time Degree Seeking Freshmen

125

Veterans affair office

Yes

The New England Conservatory of Music Student Body

Undergraduate vs. graduate students

Undergraduate: 421
Graduate: 432

Full-time vs. part-time students

Full-time: 764
Part-time: 89

Full-time degree-seeking students by gender

Women: 55
Men: 70

Students by race/ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino: 24
Black or African American: 6
White: 129
Asian: 36
Two or more races: 24
Unknown: 4

Data last updated on November 5, 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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