Getting in
For Fall 2025, 6,671 first-year students applied to Berklee, 3,675 were admitted and 1,466 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 55.1%.
Source: Berklee Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1 (Berklee's CDS counts Berklee Online degree students and Boston Conservatory at Berklee with the college). Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 364 | 183 | 50.3% |
| Out-of-state | 4,423 | 2,416 | 54.6% |
| International | 1,882 | 1,075 | 57.1% |
| Unknown | 2 | 1 | 50% |
Source: Berklee Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Berklee's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate, with no rate by program or major. Bachelor of Music students declare a major after they enroll.
Source: Berklee Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early action. Berklee has no early decision plan. Its early action plan is not binding and not restrictive, and the Common Data Set gives no early action counts, so there is no early round acceptance rate.
Source: Berklee Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Berklee does not take the Common App. You apply to one of three bachelor's programs, and each asks for something different:
- Bachelor of Music. A live audition and interview, online or in person. You choose a major after you enroll, by the end of your second semester.
- BA in Black Music and Culture. An audition and interview. You apply directly to the program.
- BA in Music Industry Leadership and Innovation. No audition. An online interview, and a portfolio with a resume or CV and a one-page cover letter.
Source: Berklee Admissions, How to Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
17 majors across 2 schools. Every Bachelor of Music major at Berklee's Boston campus, plus its two Bachelor of Arts programs. Minors, diplomas and graduate programs are left out.
Bachelor of Music15
- Composition (B.M.)
- Contemporary Writing and Production (B.M.)
- Electronic Production and Design (B.M.)
- Film Scoring (B.M.)
- Game and Interactive Media Scoring (B.M.)
- Global Jazz Performance (B.M.)
- Independent Recording and Production (B.M.)
- Jazz Composition (B.M.)
- Music Business/Management (B.M.)
- Music Education (B.M.)
- Music Production and Engineering (B.M.)
- Music Therapy (B.M.)
- Performance (B.M.)
- Professional Music (B.M.)
- Songwriting (B.M.)
Source: Berklee, Bachelor of Music: Majors (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Arts2
- Black Music and Culture (B.A.)
- Music Industry Leadership and Innovation (B.A.)
Source: Berklee Admissions, How to Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Action | November 1 | By January 31 | No |
| Regular Action | January 15 | By March 31 | No |
The application and supporting documents are due on the deadline. Auditions and interviews run August through January for Early Action and August through March for Regular Action. The deposit is due May 1. Pre-college summer program students could apply by July 30, 2026, audition in late July or August 1, and hear by October 15.
Source: Berklee Admissions, Undergraduate Admissions Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Berklee is test-blind: SAT and ACT scores are not considered and not required. It does not require essays or a personal statement; a personal essay is an optional extra. International applicants whose first language is not English send an English test score.
Source: Berklee Admissions, How to Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set marks the SAT and ACT as not considered for admission, even if submitted, for fall 2027 applicants.
Source: Berklee Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Berklee's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Berklee Admissions, How to Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Berklee, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $54,020 |
|---|---|
| Required fees | $1,600 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $21,300 |
| Books and supplies | $1,260 |
| Transportation | $1,180 |
| Other expenses | $1,460 |
| Total | $80,820 |
For a full-time undergraduate living on the Boston campus.
Source: Berklee Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $42,734 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $37,987 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $47,799 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $46,801 |
| Over $110,000 | $54,676 |
| All incomes | $49,465 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Berklee's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Berklee College of Music is a college of music, and no other college on this site is one. Each of these universities has its own school of music.
Belmont UniversityNashville, TN · Private93.7% admitted$33,147 average net price
New York UniversityNew York, NY · Private9.1% admitted$37,050 average net price
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA · Private11.2% admitted$32,740 average net price
University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · Private17.6% admitted$37,244 average net price
Indiana University BloomingtonBloomington, IN · Public75.9% admitted$16,264 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.