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Is Berklee College of Music worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Berklee College of Music, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Berklee College of Music lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $49,465 in yearly net price and $25,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $33,647. For context, Berklee College of Music's net price sits about 113% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school and near the top of its sector range. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$48,608
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $25,771 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $103,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$49,465
Median earnings 10 years out
$33,647
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Graduation rate
67%
At Berklee College of Music, a typical graduate carries about $25,000 in student debt and earns roughly $33,647 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $284 per month, or 10% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
What this means for your family
Berklee College of Music is a private nonprofit four year school in Boston, MA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Emerson
Boston, MA
Worth-It Score: 41/100
Median net price: $49,180
Private nonprofit 4-year
The New England Conservatory of Music
Boston, MA
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $46,754
Private nonprofit 4-year
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA
Worth-It Score: 82/100
Median net price: $43,071
Private nonprofit 4-year
Boston
Chestnut Hill, MA
Worth-It Score: 84/100
Median net price: $41,704
Private nonprofit 4-year
Endicott
Beverly, MA
Worth-It Score: 43/100
Median net price: $40,654
Common questions about Berklee College of Music
The median net price at Berklee College of Music is $49,465 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Massachusetts? See the most affordable private colleges in Massachusetts →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →