Manhattan School of Music vs American Conservatory Theater

Manhattan School of Music and American Conservatory Theater, two esteemed institutions in New York City, offer distinct educational experiences for aspiring artists. Manhattan School of Music, a conservatory dedicated to music, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 33%, while American Conservatory Theater, a renowned drama school, maintains a slightly higher acceptance rate of 40%. Both schools attract a diverse student body, with Manhattan School of Music's student population comprising 44% international students and American Conservatory Theater's student body consisting of 25% international students. While Manhattan School of Music excels in music-related programs, American Conservatory Theater specializes in theater arts, with popular majors including Acting, Directing, and Stage Management. To help you make an informed decision about your artistic education, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions, including graduation rates, tuition fees, and notable alumni.

	American Conservatory Theater	Manhattan School of Music
Overview
Location	San Francisco, California	New York, New York
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		86.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	N/A	49.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $90 Graduate: $90	Undergraduate: $125 Graduate: $125
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants		1,035
Total number of admissions given out		507
Admitted students who chose to enroll		121
Yield rate		23.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$51,676	$72,780
Average net price		$42,578
Tuition	$30,235	$49,850
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $10,790 Meal plan: $5,550
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)		81.0% Average amount $23,606
Students receiving federal student loan		69.0% Average amount $52,419
Students taking out private loans		11.0% Average amount $27,139

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	500 Men 50.8% Women 49.2%
Graduate students	13 Men 46.2% Women 53.8%	547 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	N/A	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	75.0%
International students	N/A	48.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	536
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York California Pennsylvania Florida New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	N/A	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	100.0%	72.3%
Dropout rate	N/A	12.5%
Transferred out	N/A	14.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,087 Year 3: $27,588	Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $19,385 Year 2: $24,228 Year 3: $26,210 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,620 Year 2: $13,393 Year 3: $18,735 Music (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,154 Year 3: N/A