College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Berklee College of Music

Boston, MA 7,468 Undergrads 60.8% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$75,678
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$47,587
After Aid
Median Earnings
$40,721
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$47,587
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$40,721
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,451
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate60.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)24.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients17.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time80.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS48.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
43.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$369k
-$101k
-$117k
Median Cost$48k/yr
+$198k
-$272k
-$288k
Full Cost$76k/yr
+$97k
-$373k
-$389k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$48k/yr
Never
-168%
Full Cost$76k/yr
Never
-143%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-166%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-107%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
CertCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,931
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
CertCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,014
Natl Median: $33,318
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Bachelor's Degrees

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$59,703
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$23,611
Earnings (4yr)
$40,186
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$286k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,702
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$325k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
BachCIP: 1599
Median Debt
$22,099
Earnings (4yr)
$48,069
Natl Median: $81,678
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$38,617
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$299k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,937
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$367k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$31,857
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
MastCIP: 1599
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,467
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$243k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Music
Gr-CertCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,153
Natl Median: $40,504
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.