Boston Conservatory at Berklee Announces 2019–2020 Room, Board, Tuition, and Fees

Dear members of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee community,

The Berklee Board of Trustees has approved an overall increase of 2.6 percent in tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees for Boston Conservatory at Berklee on-campus undergraduate programs for the 2019–2020 academic year. This includes a 3.45 percent increase in tuition, a 1.5 percent increase in room and board fees, and a 4.6 percent reduction in comprehensive fees.

Tuition and fees for Boston Conservatory at Berklee graduate programs will increase by 3.3 percent, which is representative of a 3.45 percent increase in tuition and a 4.6 percent reduction in comprehensive fees.

Tuition Rates and Financial Aid

Undergraduate and graduate program tuition for the 2019–2020 academic year will be $45,280, which is an increase of $1,510 from the current year’s tuition rate. Total tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees will increase to $66,020.

Board members also reaffirmed a key component of Berklee’s multiyear strategy to address affordability through new commitments to financial aid, including increased funding allocated to scholarship support.

Student Life Update
The three focus areas of our strategy for 2019–2020 are to enable students to graduate at higher rates with less debt, to improve the experience students have while here, and to prepare them for sustainable and successful careers. These strategic priorities have and will continue to guide our use of resources in the years to come, continually enhancing the value of a Berklee education for our alumni, current students, and future students. These efforts can be seen in several initiatives highlighted below.

  • We continue to enhance the academic experience of students across all of our campuses by providing new and improved teaching, learning, rehearsal, and study spaces. In fall 2018, a new dance studio opened on Commonwealth Avenue, and a group of practice rooms at our Fordham Road facility was opened to Conservatory students. There are also plans to significantly increase the number of practice rooms throughout the next year.
  • The opening of the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at 921 Boylston Street, as well as a new Center for Student Advising and Success at 939 Boylston Street, further supports our students as they prepare for graduation. To build on our capacity to serve the needs of the entire Berklee community, we invested in the expansion of our diversity and inclusion; equity; health and wellness; and counseling services teams. Extensive opportunities for training and dialogue were held campus-wide, including new sessions on equity at student orientations.
  • The Career Center at 921 Boylston Street has served hundreds of students in its new facility. The annual Career Jam introduces students to industry contacts for job and internship opportunities, with this year’s event focusing on women in the arts and entertainment industries.
  • We have launched the first phase of a multiyear overhaul of our institution's core information systems. This effort will ultimately improve the student experience by enhancing and simplifying registration, scheduling, accounts, and other administrative services, and help us more fully realize the benefits of our merged institution.

“These initiatives strengthen our ability to deliver a leading conservatory education,” said Boston Conservatory at Berklee Executive Director Cathy Young. “We remain focused on and committed to finding ways to provide our students with more financial support and cost-saving options.”

“Lower tuition increases are just one part of our multiyear strategy to address affordability,” noted Berklee President Roger H. Brown. “This strategy also includes increasing scholarship support by 5 percent this year to a combined level of over $67 million, including a $2.5 million supplement beyond our normal increases to scholarship support. I’m committed to continuing the expansion of scholarships and financial aid for our students while also investing in initiatives that benefit them.”

Complete details on the costs of attending Boston Conservatory at Berklee are available here.