Institutional Fact Sheet

 

Founded

February 11, 1867, Boston Conservatory is the oldest performing arts conservatory of its kind in the nation. Internationally renowned, the multidisciplinary conservatory offers fully accredited graduate and undergraduate degrees in dance, music, and theater.

2022–2023 Numbers at a Glance

  • Undergraduate students: 687
  • Graduate students: 196
  • Female students: 609
  • Male students: 274
  • Domestic students: 716
  • International students: 167

By Division

  • Dance students: 190
  • Theater students: 284
  • Music students: 213

Faculty

  • Full-time faculty: 95
  • Part-time faculty: 153
  • Student-to-faculty Ratio: 5:1

For a more in-depth look at Berklee institutional facts, click the button below.

Berklee Factbook

Pioneering Efforts

Boston Conservatory at Berklee was one of the first conservatories to grant admission to African Americans and women. In 1873, Conservatory Founder Julius Eichberg’s operetta, “The Doctor of Alcantara” was performed by the first African-American opera company in the U.S. In 1878, Eichberg established the Eichberg String Quartet, the first professional female quartet.

  • First conservatory to offer undergraduate degrees in theater
  • First conservatory in America to form a department for grand opera
  • First integrated department of ballet and modern dance
  • First conservatory to offer a degree in music education
  • First conservatory to launch a music program for students on the autism spectrum
  • Working with the Pro Arts Consortium, an association of six colleges (Boston Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, the Boston Architectural College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts), Boston Conservatory helped found the Boston Arts Academy (BAA), the City of Boston’s first pilot high school for the visual and performing arts.

Our Productions

Each year, the Conservatory presents an astounding 700 performances by students, faculty, and guest artists, ranging from fully staged dance, opera, and theater productions to orchestra concerts, music ensemble performances, guest artist and faculty concerts, and student recitals. We also have a long-standing tradition of honoring and hosting notable guest artists to perform and teach our students. Recent guests include Louis Andriessen, Yo-Yo Ma, Claire Chase, John O’Conor, Gunther Schuller, Barbara Cook, Jorja Fleezanis, Adam Guettel, Susan Stroman, Constantine Maroulis, Karole Armitage, Dwight Rhoden, Francesca Harper, Larry Keigwin, and Robert Moses.

Scholarships

Boston Conservatory at Berklee grants $12.6 million annually in scholarships. More than 88 percent of students receive institutional grants and/or scholarship aid.

Merit scholarships are awarded based on the strength of admissions entrance auditions; no paperwork is required to be considered for this award. However, we do take financial need into consideration when allocating merit awards, as we have a limited number of need-based grants. We encourage our applicants with need to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.edu.gov.

We Excel

Boston Conservatory has a rich history of producing working artists in the fields of dance, music, and theater, whether on stage, behind the scenes, in the classroom, or spearheading an entrepreneurial initiative. Every day, our alumni are redefining what it means to be a performing artist.

Dance: Our dance alumni perform for renowned national and international dance companies, such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Limón Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Seán Curran Dance Company, Les Grand Ballet Canadiens, and Boston Ballet. They also choreograph, direct, and teach all over the world.

Music: Our music alumni perform and conduct as professional soloists and freelance artists, as well as with prestigious organizations, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Lyric Opera, Emmanuel Music, Handel & Haydn Society, and the Metropolitan Opera.

Theater: Recent Broadway alumni credits include Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Band’s Visit, West Side Story, Beetlejuice, Come From Away, The Lion King, The Prom, Wicked, and Oklahoma! As actors, directors, and playwrights, their work can be found in non-profit regional theaters nationwide from the Public Theater in New York City to the Denver Theatre Center to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

We Give Back

Connecting with others is at the heart of why we perform. Boston Conservatory is committed to sharing the arts with all audiences, including those who are unable to attend traditional performances. Through our esteemed Conservatory Connections community outreach program, our talented students perform at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Rosie’s Place, Boston Public Library, Susan Bailis Assisted Living Center, Goddard House, Boston Public Schools, Rogerson House, Boston Living Center, United South End Settlements, Norwood Hospital, as well as senior centers, veterans organizations, and other venues.

Tuition

Please visit the tuition and fees page here.

Tuition and fees vary by degree and course plan.