Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts · Private Nonprofit · 43.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 20/100 · Poor Value
Berklee College of Music posts an ROI score of 20 out of 100 and lands in the Poor Value tier, one of the harshest verdicts in our database for any nationally known brand. The pain points are obvious in the numbers: a $52,040 sticker tuition, a $49,465 net price (meaning aid trims only about $2,500 off list), and a total four-year cost north of $197,000. Against that price tag, median graduate earnings six years out are just $25,700, climbing only to $33,647 at the ten-year mark. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97 is right at the federal warning line, and Scorecard reports a 999-year payback period, which is the system's way of saying the earnings premium over a typical high school graduate effectively never recoups the cost. The one bright spot is a 67.3% completion rate, well above what most non-selective private institutions deliver, and a moderate $25,000 median federal debt at graduation, kept down partly because many Berklee families finance through private loans and parent contributions not captured here. The repayment rate of 69.6% is mediocre. If you want a music conservatory experience and that is non-negotiable, Berklee is what it is; as a pure financial decision it is genuinely difficult to justify.
The data raises concerns about Berklee College of Music
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score20/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Berklee College of Music
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $52,040/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $52,040/yr |
| Average net price | $49,465/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $197,860 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $33,647 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,468 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Berklee College of Music is $52,040/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $49,465/year, or roughly $197,860 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $42,734/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $54,676/year.
The median graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $265 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $33,647 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.97 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $42,734 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $37,987 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $47,799 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $46,801 |
| $110,001+ | $54,676 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a $42,734 net price, and the $30,001-$48,000 band sees $37,987. These are the lowest figures in Berklee's grid but still represent roughly $150,000-$170,000 over four years for households earning less than that in a single year. Combined with median ten-year earnings of $33,647, the math is essentially unworkable without major external scholarships.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets fare worse, not better: the $48,001-$75,000 band pays $47,799 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $46,801. The grid is effectively inverted between low and middle income, with middle-income families paying about $5,000 to $10,000 more per year than the lowest tier. Over four years, middle-class families are absorbing roughly $190,000 in net cost against modest expected earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $54,676 per year, more than full sticker tuition once fees and living costs are included, which is normal for high-income brackets. For these families, Berklee functions like any other elite arts conservatory: the decision is about prestige, network, and passion rather than financial return. The opportunity cost still bites, but the household can absorb it.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Berklee College of Music with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Music | $38,617 | F |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $40,186 | F |
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other | $48,069 | D |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $59,703 | C |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $36,349 | C |
| Dance | $35,702 | F |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | $37,117 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Music
Music is Berklee's flagship and largest program at 625 graduates, but the numbers are sobering. Median earnings one year out are just $18,177, climbing to $38,617 at four years. Median debt of $24,979 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.37, well above the federal gainful employment threshold, and the program earns an F ROI grade. Career outcomes are bimodal, with a small number of graduates landing well-paying production, scoring, or touring work while the median graduate works gig-to-gig.
Computer Software and Media Applications
This program, which includes Berklee's music technology and game audio tracks, graduates 440 students annually. First-year earnings of $19,370 and four-year earnings of $40,186 are weaker than what comparable CS-adjacent programs deliver at almost any other institution. Debt-to-earnings of 1.39 and an F ROI grade reflect that students are paying conservatory prices for production-focused training that the broader tech market does not pay a software-tier premium for.
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies
Berklee's engineering-adjacent technologies track (largely audio engineering) graduates 215 students with first-year earnings of $26,827 and four-year earnings of $48,069. The $26,000 median debt produces a 0.97 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. This is one of the better-paying paths from Berklee but still underperforms generic engineering technology programs at state universities by 20% to 40%.
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
Arts management is Berklee's best-performing major by ROI, with 154 graduates earning a one-year median of $40,324 and a four-year median of $59,703. Debt of $26,375 against a 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C grade, which is poor by national standards but the strongest in Berklee's portfolio. Students drawn to the business side of music get a more financially defensible degree than performance-track peers.
Visual and Performing Arts, Other
This catch-all performing arts category posts the weakest numbers on campus: first-year earnings of $13,771 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.96, the worst in Berklee's program portfolio and a clear F grade. Graduate counts are suppressed in the data. Anyone considering this track should treat the financial outcomes as a near-certain prospect of long-term affordability strain.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.8% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.6% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 69.0% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.3% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 43.5% |
| Enrollment | 7,468 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 16.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,837 |
Berklee admits 43.5% of applicants, which understates how competitive entry actually is because admission turns heavily on audition and portfolio rather than on test scores. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with a school that does not weight standardized testing for music admissions. The 67.3% completion rate is solid for a private arts school and reflects that admitted students are typically already serious, prepared performers when they arrive.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Berklee sits in unusual company in its peer set. Amherst College, an elite liberal arts institution, scores dramatically higher on ROI thanks to far stronger earnings outcomes and aggressive need-based aid. Columbia College in Missouri, American International College, Unity Environmental University, and Universidad Ana G. Mendez (Gurabo) are all non-selective regional schools where lower sticker prices keep the math closer to breakeven. The takeaway: Berklee's poor financial result is not really about being a private school, it is about charging Ivy-level prices for graduates who earn arts-economy wages.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music (this school) | 20 | $49,465 | $33,647 |
| Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | 32 | $7,260 | $19,474 |
| The Juilliard School | 27 | $43,571 | $37,827 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | 25 | $46,754 | $34,483 |
| Manhattan School of Music | 20 | $51,754 | $26,878 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music | 20 | $28,226 | $32,641 |
Who Thrives Here
With 7,468 students and a Pell rate of only 16.2%, Berklee draws a relatively affluent national and international student body. The school fits a narrow profile: students with serious musical talent, family resources or major scholarship funding to absorb a near-$200,000 sticker, and career plans that treat earnings as a secondary concern. For working-class students dependent on loans, the financial path is brutal, with median grads still earning well under $35,000 a decade out. The 67% completion rate suggests that students who get in do tend to finish.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Berklee College of Music. With a net cost of $49,465 per year and median graduate earnings of only $33,647 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 against $33,647 in earnings is concerning. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 exceeds the commonly recommended threshold. Major choice is critical here.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.