Berklee vs NorthWestern

Berklee College of Music and Northwestern University, two esteemed institutions with distinct identities, offer prospective students a wealth of opportunities. Berklee, renowned for its focus on contemporary music, boasts an acceptance rate of 38%, while Northwestern, known for its rigorous academic programs, has a more selective acceptance rate of 9%. Berklee's student body is predominantly male (63%), while Northwestern's is more evenly balanced (52% male, 48% female). Both institutions offer a diverse range of majors, with Berklee specializing in music-related fields and Northwestern offering a broader selection of disciplines. With graduation rates of 89% and 91% respectively, both universities ensure that their students are well-prepared for successful careers. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Berklee College of Music	Northwestern University
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	Evanston, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	82.0%	99.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	55.2%	7.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $150 Graduate: $150	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1470 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		39.0%
Total number of applicants	7,266	47,636
Total number of admissions given out	4,009	3,321
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,707	2,086
Yield rate	42.6%	62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$63,970	$83,838
Average net price	$48,055	$29,999
Tuition	$45,468	$60,276
Room & board	$18,828	Room/dormitory: $11,271 Meal plan: $6,993
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $17,013	57.0% Average amount $51,087
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $5,220	23.0% Average amount $4,625
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $27,360	2.0% Average amount $38,595

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,177 Men 58.1% Women 41.9%	8,847 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Graduate students	766 Men 53.8% Women 46.2%	14,562 Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	25.8%	17.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,417	4,409
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	Business Communication and Journalism Engineering Health Professions Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.0%	95.2%
Dropout rate	21.6%	4.2%
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	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $150,242 Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $221,242 Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $216,176 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $187,194 Year 2: $170,971 Year 3: $206,288 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $120,709 Year 2: $189,565 Year 3: $194,961 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $162,478 Year 2: $163,561 Year 3: $177,652 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,200 Year 2: $157,779 Year 3: $159,304 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $140,321 Year 2: $141,586 Year 3: $154,556 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,288 Year 2: $118,465 Year 3: $132,325 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,780 Year 2: $111,323 Year 3: $130,124 Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $115,760 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $128,046

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Berklee

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