Payback
EarningsPlus
Economic score
Berklee College of Music is a private regional university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Berklee is moderately inclusive in their admissions.
Return on educational investment at Berklee is in the bottom 5% of all ranked schools. The median student earns $34,452 10 years after enrolling, 60th in Massachusetts, and in the bottom 10% nationally. When adjusted for earning differences by major, Berklee bachelor students earn 5% more than the national average. Berklee is ranked 55th in Massachusetts.
Berklee College of Music’s median net annual cost of $46,805 and average years to graduate of 4.5 are reported only at the school level. We assume these same costs and graduation time for all programs.
The top 2 programs at Berklee sorted by number of graduates - Arts, Entertainment & Media, Education (subject specific) - are shown below.
Annual net cost
$46,805
Average years to graduate
4.5
EarningPlus compares the three-year post graduate earnings to the median earnings of the same graduating class, with the same graduate degree. These 2 metrics, debt-to-earnings and EarningsPlus, are combined into an economic score. The lower the economic score the better.
The most popular 1 graduate programs at Berklee - Music - are shown below.
The average full-time graduate completes their degree in 4.5 years. 65% of all students graduate within 8 years including part-time students. The graduation rate at Berklee is 7% lower than the state average, and 8% above the average for all regional universities in the country.
At Berklee, Pell Grant recipients represent 18% of the measured graduating class, 17% lower than the national average of 35%. The average Pell Grant recipient at Berklee graduates within 4.5 years.
Berklee is in the bottom 10% of schools for graduating Pell recipients.
We calculate this performance by adjusting the graduation rate of Pell students by their percentage of the student body. This adjustment is made to prevent schools with large numbers of Pell students from underperforming in comparison to schools with few Pell students but high graduation rates.
Berklee College of Music’s economic mobility score of 0.03 is calculated by adjusting the 329.41 economic score of lower-income students by the 18% pell grant recipients within the student body. Berklee’s EMS of 0.03 ranks in the bottom 5% nationally.false
Economic Mobility
To calculate economic mobility of low-income (household earnings below $30,000) students, we adjust each institution’s economic score by their percentage of Pell Grant students. The logic of this Pell-adjusted calculation is derived from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI).
Bottom 5%
The average Title IV recipient at Berklee College of Music pays $46,805 a year, $20,139 less than the $66,944 advertised. See below the cost breakdown for students who receive Title IV grants, broken down by income level.
Average net price
The average net price shown by income level for all students that receive Title IV aid. Calculated by deducting the average grant and scholarship aid from tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Limited to first-time, full-time students. Public institution figures are calculated using in-state tuition figures.
Median net price $46,805
Much of the gap between net price and sticker price is filled by institutional and government grants. At Berklee, 94% of students receive some grants and scholarships, compared to the national average of 87% for all colleges and universities. The average amount of federal, state, and institutional grants that students receive is shown on the right.
This leaves a total of $46,805 on average to be covered by the student – be it through loans or out of pocket. In total, 40% of students take out loans, federal or private, at an average amount of $12,672. This is 14% less than the national average.
Federal grants
$5,220
Pell grants
$4,273
State grants
$1,216
Institutional grants
$16,329
Berklee College of Music offers 6 online bachelor programs, all of which are hybrid format. At the master’s level Berklee offers 3 programs, all of which are hybrid format. We use the IPEDS July '20 — July '21 Distance Education report to determine which programs are online. EarningsPlus data is provided when available.
Online programs
9
Hybrid programs
9
Percentage of programs online
36%
Berklee College of Music's moderately inclusive admissions are indicated by their 55% acceptance rate. In 2021, the school had 7,266 applicants, of which 4,009 were admitted and 1,707 enrolled. Berklee doesn't have a rolling admissions policy, which means applications are reviewed after a hard admissions deadline.
Berklee College of Music does not consider standardized testing in their admissions process.
Full time
100%
83%
Female
36%
59%
First time
82%
59%
In-state
8%
68%
1st generation
21%
35%
White
43%
52%
Black
7%
14%
Hispanic
13%
15%
Asian
5%
5%
American Indian
N/A
1.6%
Pacific Islander
N/A
0.3%
Other
31%
12%