Berklee vs University of Maryland-College Park (UMD)

Berklee College of Music and University of Maryland-College Park stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering unique opportunities for students seeking excellence in their respective fields. Berklee, renowned for its exceptional music programs, boasts an acceptance rate of 36%, while UMD, a comprehensive research university, maintains a broader acceptance rate of 44%. While Berklee's student body primarily comprises aspiring musicians, UMD's diverse student population pursues a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, business, and the humanities. With graduation rates of 73% and 88% respectively, both institutions prioritize student success and equip graduates with the skills and knowledge to thrive in their chosen careers. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these esteemed institutions and discover the ideal fit for your academic aspirations.

	Berklee College of Music	University of Maryland-College Park
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	College Park, Maryland
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	82.0%	95.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	55.2%	52.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $150 Graduate: $150	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75
SAT range	N/A	1330 - 1510
ACT range	N/A	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		34.0%
Students submitting ACT score		9.0%
Total number of applicants	7,266	50,183
Total number of admissions given out	4,009	26,109
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,707	6,072
Yield rate	42.6%	23.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	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	In state: $30,997 Out of state: $58,678
Average net price	$48,055	$17,146
Tuition	$45,468	In state: $9,000 Out of state: $36,681
Room & board	$18,828	Room/dormitory: $8,072 Meal plan: $5,578
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $17,013	56.0% Average amount $10,645
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $5,220	20.0% Average amount $5,065
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $27,360	4.0% Average amount $22,924

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,177 Men 58.1% Women 41.9%	30,922 Men 50.8% Women 49.2%
Graduate students	766 Men 53.8% Women 46.2%	10,350 Men 50.7% Women 49.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	29.5%
International students	25.8%	10.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,417	11,846
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Engineering Technologies Computer and Information Science Health Professions Education	Engineering Business Education Computer and Information Science Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.0%	87.7%
Dropout rate	21.6%	4.0%
Transferred out	9.9%	7.7%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,765 Year 2: $106,102 Year 3: $116,295 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $125,155 Year 2: $112,923 Year 3: $112,074 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,533 Year 2: $94,112 Year 3: $102,555 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,018 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,716 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,727 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $99,501 Physics (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $72,899 Year 3: $92,830 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $88,418 Year 2: $80,466 Year 3: $92,230 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,675 Year 2: $72,762 Year 3: $83,667 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,798 Year 2: $71,761 Year 3: $82,867 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,391 Year 2: $66,485 Year 3: $82,784

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