Berklee College of Music Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Berklee College of Music 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many Berklee College of Music first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Berklee College of Music retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.

• Berklee College of Music Retention Rate
• Berklee College of Music Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Berklee College of Music Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Berklee College of Music Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 75% students making it past their freshmen year, Berklee College of Music has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.

Berklee College of Music Graduation Rates

There were approximately 997 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 51% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 62% of the students had graduated and after eight years 64% of this class completed their degree.

The official graduation rate of Berklee College of Music is 62%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.

The typical Berklee College of Music student takes 4.20 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

Berklee College of Music Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Berklee College of Music Drop Out Rate

Approximately 573 students or 36% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 573 students who did not complete their degree?

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 214 transferred to another institution.

• Berklee College of Music lost contact with the remaining 350 who we assumed dropped out.

Berklee College of Music Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.

Traditional Students:

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.

Non-Traditional Students:

Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.

The majority of students at Berklee College of Music are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.

First-Time / Full-Time Berklee College of Music Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Berklee College of Music represent 82% of the students in the class of 2015, and 83.05% of Berklee College of Music bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 51%, first-time students in the Berklee College of Music class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Berklee College of Music graduation rate was 63%, and by the eight year mark, 65% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

Berklee College of Music First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Berklee College of Music Drop Out Rates

452 first-time / full-time students or 35% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 176 transferred to another institution.

• Berklee College of Music lost contact with the remaining 269 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Berklee College of Music represent 0.37% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 33%, first-time, part-time students in the Berklee College of Music class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 33%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time Berklee College of Music Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Berklee College of Music Drop Out Rates

4 first-time / part-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• Berklee College of Music lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

285 Berklee College of Music students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 17.75% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 57%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 59%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

Berklee College of Music Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Berklee College of Music Drop Out Rates

116 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 37 transferred to another institution.

• Berklee College of Music lost contact with the remaining 77 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

5 Berklee College of Music students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.31% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 80%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 80%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

Berklee College of Music Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Berklee College of Music Drop Out Rates

1 non first-time / part-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 0 transferred to another institution.

• Berklee College of Music lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Walters-Storyk Design Group under License