Berklee vs The University of the Arts (UArts)

Berklee College of Music and The University of the Arts, two esteemed institutions renowned for their arts education, offer distinct experiences for aspiring artists. Berklee, a private college in Boston, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 33%, while The University of the Arts, a public university in Philadelphia, is more accessible with an acceptance rate of 75%. Berklee's student body is predominantly male (63%), while The University of the Arts has a more balanced gender ratio (52% female, 48% male). Both institutions offer a diverse range of programs, with Berklee specializing in contemporary music and The University of the Arts excelling in visual and performing arts. Berklee's graduates enjoy a high employment rate, with 90% securing jobs within six months of graduation, while The University of the Arts boasts an impressive 85% graduation rate. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision

	Berklee College of Music	The University of the Arts
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	82.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	55.2%	85.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $150 Graduate: $150	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	7,266	1,293
Total number of admissions given out	4,009	1,101
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,707	269
Yield rate	42.6%	24.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$63,970	$68,690
Average net price	$48,055	$25,932
Tuition	$45,468	$48,350
Room & board	$18,828	Room/dormitory: $11,380 Meal plan: $6,250
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $17,013	100.0% Average amount $26,798
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $5,220	94.0% Average amount $5,851
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $27,360	21.0% Average amount $24,297

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,177 Men 58.1% Women 41.9%	1,397 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%
Graduate students	766 Men 53.8% Women 46.2%	160 Men 28.8% Women 71.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	25.8%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,417	582
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Engineering Technologies Computer and Information Science Health Professions Education	Visual & Performing Arts Education Communications Technology Multidisciplinary Studies English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.0%	68.1%
Dropout rate	21.6%	31.7%
Transferred out	9.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $45,051 Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,786 Year 2: $31,914 Year 3: $40,006 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,503 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $28,820 Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,397 Year 2: $16,786 Year 3: $26,596 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,512 Year 2: $22,162 Year 3: $23,540 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $19,273 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Music (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $20,239 Year 2: $16,478 Year 3: N/A Music (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $23,206 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,721 Year 2: $50,677 Year 3: $49,511 Museology/Museum Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,796 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $44,041 Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,047 Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $30,926 Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,932 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $29,322 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,815 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $28,945 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,696 Year 2: $21,052 Year 3: $28,612 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,267 Year 2: $21,613 Year 3: $26,673 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,297 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $25,853 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,067 Year 2: $22,329 Year 3: $25,752 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,579 Year 2: $19,358 Year 3: $25,140

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