Berklee College of Music

About Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music opened in 1945 and developed around jazz and popular music rooted in the African cultural diaspora. It is a nonprofit, coeducational institution incorporated in Massachusetts and remains accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2016, Berklee and Boston Conservatory combined institutionally. The Conservatory continues to operate under the Boston Conservatory at Berklee name, with its own dance, theater, and music offerings; applicants should therefore verify which Berklee division awards the program they want. The College's principal campus is in Boston. Berklee also operates graduate education in New York City and Valencia, Spain, and offers separate online degree routes. The Boston College curriculum is particularly concentrated in contemporary music, performance, composition, songwriting, scoring, production, music technology, business, education, and music therapy. This specialist focus makes program fit more important than comparisons based only on general university indicators. Students work in an urban arts-school setting where classrooms, rehearsal rooms, production studios, residence halls, and performance venues are distributed among buildings in Boston's Back Bay area. The Berklee Performance Center, recital halls, student stages, and smaller venues give performance a visible role in campus activity. Berklee's structure can create opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, but students should examine the exact campus, delivery format, degree title, curriculum, and tuition schedule for each program before applying.

Undergraduate applicants must choose either the Bachelor of Music route or a Bachelor of Arts program rather than applying to both. All Bachelor of Music applicants complete an audition and interview. The Bachelor of Arts in Black Music and Culture also requires both, while Music Industry Leadership and Innovation does not require an audition or instrumental proficiency. Auditions and interviews are used for admission and merit-scholarship consideration and may be offered in Boston, online, or at selected international locations. For fall entry, Berklee publishes a nonbinding Early Action deadline of November 1 and a Regular Action deadline of January 15. Decisions are scheduled by January 31 and March 31, respectively, with a May 1 enrollment-deposit deadline. Spring applicants have a July 1 application deadline, while regular summer applicants have a December 1 deadline. These dates were current on Berklee's admissions page in August 2026, but applicants should confirm the year and intended entry term before submitting. Required academic records, English-language documentation where applicable, and audition or interview preparation vary by applicant and program. Graduate admissions are program- and campus-specific, and Berklee Online and Boston Conservatory use separate application processes. International applicants should also allow time for immigration documentation after admission and must follow the English-proficiency and financial-document instructions applicable to their program.

At the undergraduate level, Berklee College of Music offers Bachelor of Music programs across more than a dozen majors. Officially listed fields include performance, composition, songwriting, music production and engineering, electronic production and design, film and media scoring, game and interactive media scoring, jazz composition, global jazz performance, contemporary writing and production, independent recording and production, music business and management, music education, music therapy, professional music, and Black music and culture. Bachelor of Music study combines the major with liberal arts coursework. The College also offers two Bachelor of Arts programs: Black Music and Culture, which requires an audition, and Music Industry Leadership and Innovation, which does not require an audition or instrumental proficiency. A professional diploma is available in many music areas, but it is not a bachelor's degree and is structured more heavily around music study. Students considering double majors should note that Berklee says these combinations generally require at least five years and careful planning. Master's offerings depend strongly on location and format. Boston programs include global jazz and music education, while Valencia offers areas such as contemporary performance, global entertainment and music business, production technology, and scoring. Berklee NYC offers a Master of Arts in creative media and technology with specializations, and Berklee Online provides additional master's routes. Boston Conservatory graduate degrees belong to that Berklee division and should not be assumed to be College programs. No doctoral degree level was verified.

Key Highlights

• Opened in 1945 as an institution focused on contemporary music traditions
• Private nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education
• Boston Conservatory joined Berklee institutionally in 2016 but retains distinct program branding
• Degree delivery spans Boston, New York City, Valencia, and online, depending on the program

Student Life & Environment

Student life is closely tied to performance, production, and collaboration. Berklee reports more than 100 officially recognized student clubs open across the institution, covering artistic interests, cultural and identity communities, professional fields, faith, media, and recreation. Students can also participate in student government, leadership programs, student-run enterprises, and campus events. The Center for Campus Life provides gathering space, programming, club information, commuter resources, and access to selected recreational equipment. On-campus residence halls include practice areas, lounges, laundry facilities, dining, security, and staff support. For fall entrants, incoming first-year students are guaranteed housing only if they pay the tuition deposit and submit the housing application by the published May 5 deadline; housing for spring and summer entrants is offered first come, first served. Berklee also provides apartment-search and tenant-information resources for students living off campus. Performance is embedded in daily campus activity. Facilities range from the 1,215-seat Berklee Performance Center to recital halls, theaters, Cafe 939, and a dining hall stage used for student shows. Students should expect an active urban environment rather than a self-contained residential campus, and housing availability beyond the first-year guarantee should be checked early.

Location & Surroundings

Berklee College of Music's Boston facilities are concentrated around Massachusetts Avenue, Boylston Street, and the Fenway and Back Bay area. Academic, residential, production, and performance spaces occupy multiple city buildings rather than one enclosed campus. The Berklee Performance Center stands at 136 Massachusetts Avenue, while other venues, classrooms, studios, and residence halls are located nearby along Boylston Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Hemenway Street, and the Fenway. This arrangement places students within Boston's established cultural and higher-education environment. Symphony Hall and other performance organizations are nearby, and the surrounding area includes restaurants, shops, and public transportation. The setting can support attendance at performances, internships, and professional events, but it also carries the practical tradeoffs of city living, including traffic, street noise, and potentially expensive off-campus housing. Applicants should not assume every Berklee program is based in Boston. Certain master's degrees are delivered in New York City or Valencia, and online programs have separate structures. Campus location should therefore be confirmed at the individual-program level.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For the 2026–2027 academic year, Berklee lists $54,020 in two-semester undergraduate degree tuition for the Boston campus plus $1,600 in mandatory comprehensive fees, totaling $55,620 before housing, insurance, books, transportation, and personal expenses. The standard on-campus room and full meal plan is $21,300 for fall and spring. Berklee's cost-of-attendance budget also includes indirect expenses, so students should use the official calculator and aid offer rather than treating tuition alone as the total cost. The supplied database tuition and room-and-board figures are from an earlier period and are not used as current amounts here. Domestic applicants seeking need-based aid are directed to the FAFSA and CSS Profile under Berklee's applicable instructions. International entering students are not required to submit the CSS Profile because Berklee states that they are eligible only for merit scholarships. Berklee also cautions that institutional need-based funding is limited, making an advance financing plan important. Career support includes specialized advising, résumé and portfolio preparation, networking events, and a platform for jobs, gigs, auditions, and internships. Most approved internships can carry academic credit when eligibility and registration rules are met. As of fall 2026, students generally become eligible for credit-bearing internships after completing two semesters; international students need appropriate curricular practical training authorization for US internships. These services provide infrastructure for career development but do not guarantee employment or a particular salary.