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The New England Conservatory of Music

Basic Information

Type Private
Geographical Reach Regional
Population 4,000,000
United States map with state borders, rivers, lakes, and Alaska and Hawaii insets
Boston, MA

Weather

Comfortable Days 110 (71%)
Sunshine Hours 2,634 (56%)
Days Without Precipitation 239 (33%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 383
Men / Women 56% / 44%

Racial/Ethnic

International 45%
White 31%
Asian 9%
Hispanic 7%
Mixed 6%
Black 1%
Native American 0%

Men in the Entering Class

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Men: 60.0% 60.0% 2012 Men: 55.6% 55.6% 2013 Men: 58.1% 58.1% 2014 Men: 57.3% 57.3% 2015 Men: 55.8% 55.8% 2016 Men: 59.5% 59.5% 2017 Men: 43.5% 43.5% 2018 Men: 62.4% 62.4% 2019 Men: 53.0% 53.0% 2020 Men: 53.0% 53.0% 2021 Men: 54.0% 54.0% 2022 Men: 52.3% 52.3% 2023 Men: 47.9% 47.9% 2024 Men: 56.7% 56.7% 2025 Men: 56.7% 56.7%

Men as a share of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

Entering Class by Race & Ethnicity

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2012 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2013 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2014 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2015 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2016 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2017 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2018 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2019 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2020 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2021 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2022 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2023 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2024 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2025 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2011 Asian: 8.9% 8.9% 2012 Asian: 12.1% 12.1% 2013 Asian: 9.7% 9.7% 2014 Asian: 2.7% 2.7% 2015 Asian: 8.1% 8.1% 2016 Asian: 5.8% 5.8% 2017 Asian: 7.4% 7.4% 2018 Asian: 11.0% 11.0% 2019 Asian: 12.8% 12.8% 2020 Asian: 13.7% 13.7% 2021 Asian: 13.8% 13.8% 2022 Asian: 12.8% 12.8% 2023 Asian: 8.3% 8.3% 2024 Asian: 10.3% 10.3% 2025 Asian: 5.5% 5.5% 2011 Black: 2.2% 2.2% 2012 Black: 1.0% 1.0% 2013 Black: 2.2% 2.2% 2014 Black: 0.0% 0.0% 2015 Black: 7.0% 7.0% 2016 Black: 5.0% 5.0% 2017 Black: 0.0% 0.0% 2018 Black: 0.9% 0.9% 2019 Black: 1.7% 1.7% 2020 Black: 1.7% 1.7% 2021 Black: 1.1% 1.1% 2022 Black: 3.5% 3.5% 2023 Black: 6.2% 6.2% 2024 Black: 0.0% 0.0% 2025 Black: 0.8% 0.8% 2011 Hispanic: 3.3% 3.3% 2012 Hispanic: 3.0% 3.0% 2013 Hispanic: 8.6% 8.6% 2014 Hispanic: 4.0% 4.0% 2015 Hispanic: 3.5% 3.5% 2016 Hispanic: 5.0% 5.0% 2017 Hispanic: 0.0% 0.0% 2018 Hispanic: 5.5% 5.5% 2019 Hispanic: 1.7% 1.7% 2020 Hispanic: 1.7% 1.7% 2021 Hispanic: 2.3% 2.3% 2022 Hispanic: 1.2% 1.2% 2023 Hispanic: 0.0% 0.0% 2024 Hispanic: 0.0% 0.0% 2025 Hispanic: 8.7% 8.7% 2011 White: 45.6% 45.6% 2012 White: 38.4% 38.4% 2013 White: 51.6% 51.6% 2014 White: 30.7% 30.7% 2015 White: 32.6% 32.6% 2016 White: 37.2% 37.2% 2017 White: 40.7% 40.7% 2018 White: 38.5% 38.5% 2019 White: 34.2% 34.2% 2020 White: 34.2% 34.2% 2021 White: 39.1% 39.1% 2022 White: 43.0% 43.0% 2023 White: 31.2% 31.2% 2024 White: 26.8% 26.8% 2025 White: 26.8% 26.8% 2011 International: 31.1% 31.1% 2012 International: 41.4% 41.4% 2013 International: 24.7% 24.7% 2014 International: 40.0% 40.0% 2015 International: 37.2% 37.2% 2016 International: 38.8% 38.8% 2017 International: 47.2% 47.2% 2018 International: 39.4% 39.4% 2019 International: 43.6% 43.6% 2020 International: 43.6% 43.6% 2021 International: 35.6% 35.6% 2022 International: 37.2% 37.2% 2023 International: 39.6% 39.6% 2024 International: 48.5% 48.5% 2025 International: 50.4% 50.4%

Share of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates. Two or more races and race unknown are omitted, so the lines do not sum to 100%. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

Enrolled Undergraduates

0 125 250 375 500 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Total: 385 385 2012 Total: 406 406 2013 Total: 393 393 2014 Total: 376 376 2015 Total: 365 365 2016 Total: 381 381 2017 Total: 407 407 2018 Total: 437 437 2019 Total: 464 464 2020 Total: 475 475 2021 Total: 390 390 2022 Total: 409 409 2023 Total: 361 361 2024 Total: 364 364 2025 Total: 383 383 2011 Men: 215 215 2012 Men: 232 232 2013 Men: 230 230 2014 Men: 208 208 2015 Men: 202 202 2016 Men: 217 217 2017 Men: 215 215 2018 Men: 241 241 2019 Men: 256 256 2020 Men: 262 262 2021 Men: 201 201 2022 Men: 223 223 2023 Men: 192 192 2024 Men: 201 201 2025 Men: 213 213 2011 Women: 170 170 2012 Women: 174 174 2013 Women: 163 163 2014 Women: 168 168 2015 Women: 163 163 2016 Women: 164 164 2017 Women: 192 192 2018 Women: 196 196 2019 Women: 208 208 2020 Women: 213 213 2021 Women: 189 189 2022 Women: 186 186 2023 Women: 169 169 2024 Women: 163 163 2025 Women: 170 170

Full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates across all years of study. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

Enrolled Undergraduates by Race & Ethnicity

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2012 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2013 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2014 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2015 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2016 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2017 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2018 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2019 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2020 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2021 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2022 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2023 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2024 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2025 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2011 Asian: 8.6% 8.6% 2012 Asian: 8.4% 8.4% 2013 Asian: 9.9% 9.9% 2014 Asian: 10.9% 10.9% 2015 Asian: 9.9% 9.9% 2016 Asian: 6.6% 6.6% 2017 Asian: 7.1% 7.1% 2018 Asian: 8.7% 8.7% 2019 Asian: 9.7% 9.7% 2020 Asian: 10.1% 10.1% 2021 Asian: 11.5% 11.5% 2022 Asian: 11.5% 11.5% 2023 Asian: 12.5% 12.5% 2024 Asian: 11.3% 11.3% 2025 Asian: 9.4% 9.4% 2011 Black: 3.6% 3.6% 2012 Black: 2.2% 2.2% 2013 Black: 2.0% 2.0% 2014 Black: 1.6% 1.6% 2015 Black: 2.7% 2.7% 2016 Black: 3.4% 3.4% 2017 Black: 2.5% 2.5% 2018 Black: 2.5% 2.5% 2019 Black: 1.9% 1.9% 2020 Black: 2.3% 2.3% 2021 Black: 0.8% 0.8% 2022 Black: 1.5% 1.5% 2023 Black: 2.2% 2.2% 2024 Black: 1.6% 1.6% 2025 Black: 1.3% 1.3% 2011 Hispanic: 5.5% 5.5% 2012 Hispanic: 4.9% 4.9% 2013 Hispanic: 5.1% 5.1% 2014 Hispanic: 3.7% 3.7% 2015 Hispanic: 3.6% 3.6% 2016 Hispanic: 4.5% 4.5% 2017 Hispanic: 3.4% 3.4% 2018 Hispanic: 3.7% 3.7% 2019 Hispanic: 2.8% 2.8% 2020 Hispanic: 2.5% 2.5% 2021 Hispanic: 2.3% 2.3% 2022 Hispanic: 2.4% 2.4% 2023 Hispanic: 2.2% 2.2% 2024 Hispanic: 1.9% 1.9% 2025 Hispanic: 6.5% 6.5% 2011 White: 44.2% 44.2% 2012 White: 42.4% 42.4% 2013 White: 44.8% 44.8% 2014 White: 39.6% 39.6% 2015 White: 37.8% 37.8% 2016 White: 37.8% 37.8% 2017 White: 34.9% 34.9% 2018 White: 35.5% 35.5% 2019 White: 36.2% 36.2% 2020 White: 36.0% 36.0% 2021 White: 33.6% 33.6% 2022 White: 38.1% 38.1% 2023 White: 38.0% 38.0% 2024 White: 34.6% 34.6% 2025 White: 30.8% 30.8% 2011 International: 31.2% 31.2% 2012 International: 34.2% 34.2% 2013 International: 31.8% 31.8% 2014 International: 34.3% 34.3% 2015 International: 36.4% 36.4% 2016 International: 38.6% 38.6% 2017 International: 43.0% 43.0% 2018 International: 42.6% 42.6% 2019 International: 43.8% 43.8% 2020 International: 43.2% 43.2% 2021 International: 45.6% 45.6% 2022 International: 41.1% 41.1% 2023 International: 39.1% 39.1% 2024 International: 41.2% 41.2% 2025 International: 45.4% 45.4%

Share of full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates across all years of study. Two or more races and race unknown are omitted, so the lines do not sum to 100%. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

IPEDS Fall Enrollment (2011–2019) and 12-month Enrollment (2020–2025). The dashed line at 2020 marks the change in reporting period. Missing reports leave gaps.

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
The New England Conservatory of Music 94 50% 41% 10% 1% 2% 38% $31,237 0 -1.67 1 85%
Brass Instruments 7 — 71% 57% 0% 0% 0% 29% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Jazz Studies 11 — 91% 64% 0% 0% 0% 27% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Keyboard Instruments 5 — 60% 0% 40% 0% 0% 60% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Music Performance 5 — 20% 60% 20% 0% 0% 20% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Music Theory and Composition 7 — 86% 29% 0% 0% 0% 57% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Percussion Instruments 2 — 50% 50% 0% 0% 0% 50% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Stringed Instruments 32 — 34% 41% 16% 3% 6% 28% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Voice and Opera 12 — 8% 33% 8% 0% 0% 42% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —
Woodwind Instruments 13 — 69% 38% 0% 0% 0% 62% $31,237 3 -1.67 1 85% — — — —

Financial

Tuition & Fees $65,647
ROI Percentile 1th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 88%
4-Year Graduation Rate 47%
6-Year Graduation Rate 73%
Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Six-Year Graduation Rate

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Graduated: 76.0% 76.0% 2012 Graduated: 82.7% 82.7% 2013 Graduated: 85.9% 85.9% 2014 Graduated: 87.5% 87.5% 2015 Graduated: 84.3% 84.3% 2016 Graduated: 81.2% 81.2% 2017 Graduated: 79.6% 79.6% 2018 Graduated: 85.0% 85.0% 2019 Graduated: 80.6% 80.6% 2020 Graduated: 70.7% 70.7% 2021 Graduated: 82.6% 82.6% 2022 Graduated: 81.0% 81.0% 2023 Graduated: 77.8% 77.8% 2024 Graduated: 73.4% 73.4%

Students finishing within 150% of normal time. Each year labels the cohort that entered six years earlier — 2024 tracks the class that started in 2018.

Six-Year Graduation Rate by Gender

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Men: 73.3% 2012 Men: 88.2% 2013 Men: 83.7% 2014 Men: 82.6% 2015 Men: 81.8% 2016 Men: 83.0% 2017 Men: 78.2% 2018 Men: 80.4% 2019 Men: 79.6% 2020 Men: 63.6% 2021 Men: 77.6% 2022 Men: 76.4% 2023 Men: 74.5% 2024 Men: 69.1% 2011 Women: 80.0% 2012 Women: 78.0% 2013 Women: 88.1% 2014 Women: 94.1% 2015 Women: 86.8% 2016 Women: 79.1% 2017 Women: 81.6% 2018 Women: 90.9% 2019 Women: 82.1% 2020 Women: 80.6% 2021 Women: 89.2% 2022 Women: 87.8% 2023 Women: 80.3% 2024 Women: 80.5%

IPEDS reports the cohort as men and women only.

Six-Year Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Asian: 85.7% 2012 Asian: 83.3% 2013 Asian: 100.0% 2014 Asian: 100.0% 2015 Asian: 81.8% 2016 Asian: 85.7% 2017 Asian: 100.0% 2018 Asian: 100.0% 2019 Asian: 77.8% 2020 Asian: 50.0% 2021 Asian: 100.0% 2022 Asian: 100.0% 2023 Asian: 80.0% 2024 Asian: 83.3% 2011 Black: 100.0% 2012 Black: 0.0% 2013 Black: 83.3% 2014 Black: 83.3% 2015 Black: 66.7% 2016 Black: 25.0% 2017 Black: 100.0% 2018 Black: 100.0% 2019 Black: 50.0% 2021 Black: 66.7% 2022 Black: 83.3% 2024 Black: 0.0% 2011 Hispanic: 100.0% 2012 Hispanic: 100.0% 2013 Hispanic: 100.0% 2014 Hispanic: 66.7% 2015 Hispanic: 100.0% 2016 Hispanic: 57.1% 2017 Hispanic: 33.3% 2018 Hispanic: 100.0% 2019 Hispanic: 57.1% 2020 Hispanic: 66.7% 2021 Hispanic: 50.0% 2022 Hispanic: 75.0% 2024 Hispanic: 20.0% 2011 White: 69.8% 2012 White: 82.9% 2013 White: 86.0% 2014 White: 80.6% 2015 White: 78.3% 2016 White: 85.4% 2017 White: 67.4% 2018 White: 71.1% 2019 White: 83.3% 2020 White: 70.8% 2021 White: 80.8% 2022 White: 74.5% 2023 White: 62.8% 2024 White: 66.7% 2011 International: 85.7% 2012 International: 85.7% 2013 International: 83.3% 2014 International: 96.0% 2015 International: 96.3% 2016 International: 92.0% 2017 International: 88.5% 2018 International: 89.7% 2019 International: 87.0% 2020 International: 80.0% 2021 International: 87.9% 2022 International: 89.1% 2023 International: 91.8% 2024 International: 86.0%

Each group's completers over its own share of the entering cohort. Groups making up less than 2% of everyone this college graduated over the period are left off — their rates swing on a handful of students and read as noise.

IPEDS Graduation Rates survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Arts 100.0% 94 50% 41% 10% 1% 2% 38% $31,237 1 -1.67 1 85% —

Research

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Humanities & Social Sciences — — — — 9 #242 — —
Agriculture & Food Science — — — — — — — —
Business & Economics — — — — — — — —
Computer Science — — — — — — — —
Education — — — — — — — —
Engineering — — — — — — — —
Health Sciences — — — — — — — —
Life & Natural Sciences — — — — — — — —
Physical Sciences & Math — — — — — — — —
Total — — — — 9 #480 — —

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Admissions

Uses Common App No
Acceptance Rate 41%
Yield (non-ED) 28%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 41% 41% 41%

This college’s Common Data Set does not break down admissions by applicant demographics, so in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants share one Regular Decision rate.

Acceptance & Yield

0% 12% 24% 36% 48% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Acceptance: 27.0% 27.0% 2012 Acceptance: 29.5% 29.5% 2013 Acceptance: 27.8% 27.8% 2014 Acceptance: 29.1% 29.1% 2015 Acceptance: 32.4% 32.4% 2016 Acceptance: 35.4% 35.4% 2017 Acceptance: 32.8% 32.8% 2018 Acceptance: 36.5% 36.5% 2019 Acceptance: 36.9% 36.9% 2020 Acceptance: 36.3% 36.3% 2021 Acceptance: 43.3% 43.3% 2022 Acceptance: 37.5% 37.5% 2023 Acceptance: 42.8% 42.8% 2024 Acceptance: 41.1% 41.1% 2011 Yield: 28.8% 28.8% 2012 Yield: 29.3% 29.3% 2013 Yield: 29.3% 29.3% 2014 Yield: 20.6% 20.6% 2015 Yield: 23.7% 23.7% 2016 Yield: 29.5% 29.5% 2017 Yield: 27.3% 27.3% 2018 Yield: 27.8% 27.8% 2019 Yield: 29.0% 29.0% 2020 Yield: 20.7% 20.7% 2021 Yield: 21.8% 21.8% 2022 Yield: 15.7% 15.7% 2023 Yield: 25.6% 25.6% 2024 Yield: 29.5% 29.5%

Applicants, Admitted & Enrolled

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Applicants: 1,259 1,259 2012 Applicants: 1,260 1,260 2013 Applicants: 1,253 1,253 2014 Applicants: 1,249 1,249 2015 Applicants: 1,170 1,170 2016 Applicants: 1,177 1,177 2017 Applicants: 1,216 1,216 2018 Applicants: 1,083 1,083 2019 Applicants: 1,129 1,129 2020 Applicants: 1,147 1,147 2021 Applicants: 952 952 2022 Applicants: 815 815 2023 Applicants: 959 959 2024 Applicants: 1,112 1,112 2011 Admitted: 340 340 2012 Admitted: 372 372 2013 Admitted: 348 348 2014 Admitted: 364 364 2015 Admitted: 379 379 2016 Admitted: 417 417 2017 Admitted: 399 399 2018 Admitted: 395 395 2019 Admitted: 417 417 2020 Admitted: 416 416 2021 Admitted: 412 412 2022 Admitted: 306 306 2023 Admitted: 410 410 2024 Admitted: 457 457 2011 Enrolled: 98 98 2012 Enrolled: 109 109 2013 Enrolled: 102 102 2014 Enrolled: 75 75 2015 Enrolled: 90 90 2016 Enrolled: 123 123 2017 Enrolled: 109 109 2018 Enrolled: 110 110 2019 Enrolled: 121 121 2020 Enrolled: 86 86 2021 Enrolled: 90 90 2022 Enrolled: 48 48 2023 Enrolled: 105 105 2024 Enrolled: 135 135

IPEDS Admissions survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.

Standardized Tests

Test Policy blind