Boston, MA · Private · 7,468 undergraduates · urban
Berklee College of Music
Selective
Berklee organizes conservatory study around contemporary music, production, songwriting, performance, and music business rather than a primarily classical model.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Solid in academic standing, and steady in student experience.- Admission
- Audition-led admission
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 60.6%
7,167 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$33,647 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Berklee apart
Academic design
Students combine a principal instrument or voice with music core studies and specialized majors spanning performance, production, songwriting, scoring, and business.
Admission process
Bachelor of Music applicants complete a live audition and interview; some Bachelor of Arts applicants instead complete an online interview without auditioning.
Defining experience
The audition tests prepared performance, improvisation, sight-reading, and ear training, reflecting Berklee’s emphasis on adaptable contemporary musicianship.
Can I get in?
Audition-led admission
Bachelor of Music applicants complete a live audition and interview; some Bachelor of Arts applicants instead complete an online interview without auditioning.
Recent applicant pool
7,167About 50 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Audition and portfolio
The audition or portfolio carries the file. The academic record qualifies the applicant; the performance decides the outcome.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Berklee, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Berklee weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Clear the academic baseline
Students combine a principal instrument or voice with music core studies and specialized majors spanning performance, production, songwriting, scoring, and business.
Complete the specialized assessment
Bachelor of Music applicants complete a live audition and interview; some Bachelor of Arts applicants instead complete an online interview without auditioning.
Plan the process early
Choose the correct degree route before applying because audition requirements differ sharply between the Bachelor of Music and selected Bachelor of Arts programs.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Choose the correct degree route before applying because audition requirements differ sharply between the Bachelor of Music and selected Bachelor of Arts programs.
$0 application fee
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Health professionsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Berklee
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. For specialized training, compare those signals with the professional path you intend to follow.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Music
Admits separately
Computer Software and Media Applications
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
Admits separately
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
Berklee beyond the classroom
Berklee is embedded in Boston’s Back Bay, with classrooms, studios, residences, rehearsal rooms, and performance venues distributed through surrounding city blocks.
The academic structure
Students combine a principal instrument or voice with music core studies and specialized majors spanning performance, production, songwriting, scoring, and business.
The campus rhythm
Berklee is embedded in Boston’s Back Bay, with classrooms, studios, residences, rehearsal rooms, and performance venues distributed through surrounding city blocks.
What changes the experience
The audition tests prepared performance, improvisation, sight-reading, and ear training, reflecting Berklee’s emphasis on adaptable contemporary musicianship.