Quad
The New England Conservatory of MusicBoston, MA · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Stringed Instruments (34% of graduates). 5 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 96% of colleges. 30% of faculty are full-time. Spends $46,533 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

94 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 80% of graduates; 9 programs in 1 field awarded at least one.

  1. Stringed Instruments 50.091134% 32
    Graduates in this field earn $26,985 4 years out
  2. Woodwind Instruments 50.091514% 13
    Graduates in this field earn $26,985 4 years out
  3. Voice and Opera 50.090813% 12
    Graduates in this field earn $26,985 4 years out
  4. Jazz/Jazz Studies 50.091012% 11
    Graduates in this field earn $26,985 4 years out
  5. Music Theory and Composition 50.09047.4% 7
    Graduates in this field earn $26,985 4 years out

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Music$26,985 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$26,985
    National median: $42,892Below typical

    Median federal debt: $26,983 · 190 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college5 to 1
5 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 96% of 1,892More students per faculty →

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Full-time faculty30%
National median: 67%Below typical
Average faculty salary

$71,435

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$46,533
$46,533
← Lessmore than 98% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$275,524
$275,524
← Lessmore than 91% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)