Berklee College of Music: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Berklee College of Music is a private music college with an acceptance rate of 51%. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Berklee College of Music is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. The college has a history of success in historical and contemporary music education—its alumni have received more than 250 Grammy Awards. In 2016, Berklee College of Music merged with The Boston Conservatory (now known as Boston Conservatory at Berklee) and the two became known as Berklee. While the schools have merged, each school has an independent admissions and audition process.

Undergraduate students at Berklee College of Music can choose to pursue either a professional diploma or bachelor of music degree in 12 majors, including composition, music production and engineering, and music therapy. Berklee also offers master’s programs at its international campus in Valencia, Spain in contemporary studio performance, scoring for film, television and video games, and global entertainment and music. Classes at Berklee are supported by an 11-to-1 student/faculty ratio. Campus life is active, and students operate the nation’s only all-ages, student-run night club where students and community members can perform. Berklee students can also participate on Emerson College varsity athletic teams which compete in the NCAA Division III Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

Considering applying to Berklee College of Music? Here are the admissions statistics you should know.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Berklee College of Music had an acceptance rate of 51%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 51 students were admitted, making Berklee's admissions process competitive.

SAT and ACT Scores and Requirements

Berklee College of Music does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Applicants can choose to include SAT or ACT scores as supplemental material, but they are not required.

Requirements

Although not required for admission, applicants to Berklee College of Music may submit SAT or ACT scores as supplemental admissions material.

GPA

The Berklee College of Music admissions office indicates that while there is no minimum GPA for admission, applicants with a GPA of 2.5 or below will not likely be considered strong candidates for admission.

Admissions Chances

Berklee College of Music, which accepts just over 50% of applicants, has a selective admissions process. Most successful applicants have above average high school GPAs and a rigorous high school course schedule including AP, IB, and Honors courses. Berklee applicants are not required to submit an application essay or standardized test scores, but all applicants must participate in an interview and live audition. Applicants may also submit supplemental materials such as resumes, letters of recommendation, recordings, and SAT or ACT scores.

Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

If You Like Berklee College of Music, You May Also Like These Schools

Applicants looking for a designated music school, or a college with a strong music program might consider New York University, Yale University, The Juilliard School, and New England Conservatory of Music.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Berklee College of Music's Undergraduate Admissions Office.