The Juilliard School
New York, New York · Private Nonprofit · 9.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 27/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The Juilliard School scores 27 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale, a rating that requires careful context. Juilliard has a 9.15% admission rate, and its graduates pursue careers in music performance, dance, and drama where median earnings are structurally low relative to debt. The payback period is 111.2 years and reflects $30,900 average 6-year earnings against $43,571 net price per year. Median debt of $25,500 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.825 describe a genuinely difficult financial structure for most graduates. The completion rate of 92.6% is very high, however, indicating that students who enroll overwhelmingly finish. The CampusROI score of 27 accurately describes the conventional financial return, but Juilliard is not chosen for conventional financial return. It is chosen by students for whom admission is the primary validation of professional viability in a field where the credential itself is a career asset - concert stages, major orchestras, ballet companies, and professional theater circuits recognize the Juilliard name in ways the Scorecard earnings data does not capture.
How The Juilliard School scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score27/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
The Juilliard School
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $57,950/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $57,950/yr |
| Average net price | $43,571/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $174,284 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $37,827 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $270 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 92.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 468 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $57,950/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $43,571/year, or roughly $174,284 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $30,168/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $51,160/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,500, which works out to about $270 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,900) and comes to 0.82, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $30,168 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $31,507 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $40,705 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $35,563 |
| $110,001+ | $51,160 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $30,168 per year at Juilliard, which reflects Juilliard's total cost of attendance ($57,950 tuition plus room and board). The 30001-48000 bracket pays $31,507. Low-income students admitted to Juilliard should carefully use the net price calculator and model debt accumulation against realistic performing arts earnings trajectories before committing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $40,705 per year, a significant step up from lower income bands. The 75001-110000 bracket drops to $35,563 - an unusual inversion suggesting aid formula differences. Middle-income families face $142,000-$163,000 in four-year net cost, which is very high against $30,900 average 6-year earnings. The financial argument for Juilliard at middle income rests entirely on the career-specific value of the credential, not on conventional earnings metrics.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $51,160 per year - roughly $205,000 over four years. Against $30,900 average 6-year earnings and a 111.2-year payback period, the financial structure is challenging even for families who can absorb the cost. The appropriate framework for high-income families is not the payback period but the professional viability of a performing arts career: if a student has the talent and intention to perform professionally, the Juilliard credential is legitimate. If not, the cost is not recoverable.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at The Juilliard School with available earnings data.
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 Juilliard's dominant program at 79 graduates, earning $32,842 at year four (no year-one data reported). Median debt of $25,000 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.761 (ROI grade D) reflect the structural earnings profile of performance careers - even well-placed orchestral and chamber musicians rarely earn high income early. The earnings data does not capture placement in major ensembles, recording income, teaching studios, or long-run career arcs in music.
Dance
Dance (21 graduates) earns $14,220 at year one and $50,287 at year four - a dramatic earnings ramp suggesting many graduates pivot to more stable income sources mid-career while maintaining performance work. Median debt of $27,000 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.899 (ROI grade F) make the short-term financial picture severe. The year-four $50,287 is more encouraging and suggests career diversification into choreography, teaching, and production. Dance at Juilliard is a training program measured by artistic outcomes, not financial ones.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 76.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How The Juilliard School’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 9.2% |
| Enrollment | 468 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 13.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $15,261 |
Juilliard's 9.15% admission rate is the result of an audition and portfolio process, not test scores - no SAT or ACT data is reported. The rate understates selectivity in the relevant talent pool, as applicants typically have years of formal conservatory training. Admission here is a professional endorsement. The financial aid model produces significant variation by income bracket: low-income families ($0-30,000) pay $30,168 per year, while the highest-income bracket ($110,000+) pays $51,160. Families should use the net price calculator to model individual aid awards.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The ROI score of 27 is a product of the earnings structure of performing arts careers, not institutional quality.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Juilliard School (this school) | 27 | $43,571 | $37,827 |
| Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | 32 | $7,260 | $19,474 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | 25 | $46,754 | $34,483 |
| Berklee College of Music | 20 | $49,465 | $33,647 |
| Manhattan School of Music | 20 | $51,754 | $26,878 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music | 20 | $28,226 | $32,641 |
Who Thrives Here
Juilliard enrolls 468 students. Admission is by audition and portfolio - no SAT or ACT data is reported. The 9.15% admission rate reflects a competitive audition pool of highly trained pre-professional performers. Pell grant rate of 13.9% is modest. This institution is not appropriate for students uncertain about a performing arts career - it is a full professional commitment from day one. Students who are admitted and who pursue principal careers in music, dance, or theater will find the credential valuable in those narrow markets. Students who do not finish, or who redirect into non-performing careers, will face debt without the earnings offsetting it.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, The Juilliard School scores 27/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $43,571 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $37,827 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: its 92.6% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
The Juilliard School: Common Questions
Is The Juilliard School worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. The Juilliard School scores 27/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $43,571 a year after aid against $37,827 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does The Juilliard School cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $43,571 a year, or roughly $174,284 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do The Juilliard School graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $37,827 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off The Juilliard School?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for The Juilliard School. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do The Juilliard School graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,500, against average earnings of $30,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at The Juilliard School?
The six-year graduation rate is 92.6%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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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.