When musicians dream of college music programs, two schools are among the most well-known: The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music.
While Juilliard is among the most selective music schools worldwide, focusing on classical and jazz music, Berklee teaches contemporary music education, spanning pop music, film scoring, songwriting, and music production.
Though both are excellent, they embody different approaches—Juilliard cultivates virtuosic performers, conductors, and classical music composers, while Berklee shapes versatile musicians for today’s contemporary music industry.
Today, we’ll discuss how the philosophies, career outcomes, and performance opportunities at both of these famous music schools dramatically differ.
Two Different Histories & Philosophies
The Juilliard School, established nearly 120 years ago in 1905 in New York City, emerged from the tradition of European classical conservatories. It was initially envisioned as an American institution that could rival the great music schools of Europe.
The school’s commitment to classical music has remained, though it has expanded to include jazz music as well as dance & drama.
Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945 in Boston, took an unusual approach by becoming the first institution to teach jazz, rock, and other contemporary musical styles in a formal academic setting.
To this day, Berklee’s primary focus is on contemporary & jazz styles, and their absorption of the nearby Boston Conservatory in 2015 has given Berklee a strong platform for classical & musical theatre students.
Which Music School Is Harder to Get Into?
Between the two, Juilliard is significantly more challenging to get accepted into.
Depending on the year, Juilliard has an acceptance rate of less than 10%, while Berklee is at about 50%.
It’s important to note that while Juilliard’s acceptance rate has remained in the single digits for decades, Berklee is becoming more and more selective. Gone are the days when Berklee was “easy” to get into; plenty of talented, accomplished students do not get in these days.
Career Outcomes Between Juilliard and Berklee Students
Juilliard Graduates
Juilliard alumni find work in the concert music industry.
One big employer of Juilliard graduates would be classical orchestras. Think about ensembles like the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic; these groups have hired many graduates of Juilliard to professionally perform in their ensembles.
The top orchestras in the country, like the Chicago Symphony, offer generous starting salaries for players.
Other employment opportunities for Juilliard graduates have included opera companies. Groups like the San Francisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera have hired Juilliard graduates for their choruses and starring roles alike.
Beyond these, professorships are common for Juilliard graduates, especially those who ultimately pursue a PhD or a DMA. Lastly, some Juilliard graduates enter careers in arts administration, working for performing arts organizations.
Berklee Graduates
While graduates of Berklee have certainly entered careers in orchestras and professorships, the typical graduate typically goes into careers in the mainline music industry.
A number of Berklee graduates have gone into film & television scoring. Berklee’s most famous alum in this category, Howard Shore, scored Lord of the Rings and many other blockbuster films.
Many Berklee graduates have gone into performing and songwriting. The genres Berklee graduates represent are astounding, anything from heavy metal (like Dream Theater) to top-40 popular music (like Charlie Puth).
Berklee is an outstanding school for music production as well; in fact, the school has 16 professional production facilities, and no other school in America even comes close, to my knowledge.
With that kind of training and access to equipment, Berklee graduates go onto become producers, studio owners, label operators, and more.
Finally, Berklee emphasizes music business education, and many students go into management, A&R, and other related careers.
Performance Opportunities Between Both Schools
Both Juilliard and Berklee offer hundreds of annual performance opportunities, but they differ significantly.
Juilliard students regularly perform at Lincoln Center, one of the country’s most notable classical music venues. The focus is on formal concert hall performances and traditional recitals, anything from orchestral music to wind ensembles and chamber & solo opportunities.
Jazz students at Juilliard regularly gig in New York’s clubs & venues, such as Joe’s Pub, Le Poisson Rouge, Blue Note, Birdland Jazz Club, etc.
Berklee students experience a broader range of performance settings, from jazz clubs and recording studios to contemporary music venues throughout Boston. The school’s emphasis on modern music industry practices includes:
- Recording studio experience
- Live sound engineering
- Music business and entrepreneurship
- Collaboration with film and game sound design
- Industry networking opportunities
Campus Life & Opportunities Outside of School
Both New York and Boston have much to offer in terms of general opportunities on and off campus.
Let’s start with Berklee:
One thing that makes Berklee so attractive to students is how deeply integrated the school is with Boston’s college culture.
There are over 70 colleges & universities in the Greater Boston area, making it an unusually dense area for higher education. Students at Berklee can audit classes at BU or Northeastern, make music with students at New England Conservatory, or simply network with future professionals at any of the local schools.
New York is not bereft of higher education either; Juilliard is in close proximity to multiple music colleges like MSM and Mannes. There are also nearby university programs like NYU, The New School, and Columbia University.
Both Boston & New York are filled with musical diversity and excitement.
Boston is home to the Boston Symphony, Boston Lyric Opera, Handel & Haydn Society, and many other musical groups. Juilliard has the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, etc.
New York is usually considered a stronger musical city, likely because it has 20x the population of Boston, and as such, more people and opportunities in general.
Making the Final Decision
The decision between Juilliard and Berklee ultimately depends on your musical goals and career aspirations.
Juilliard remains the premier choice for classical musicians seeking traditional orchestral or solo careers. Berklee offers the ideal environment for students interested in contemporary music, production, or the business side of the industry.
Each institution excels in its chosen domain, and neither can be considered universally “better” than the other. The right choice depends entirely on aligning a student’s musical passion and career goals with the institution’s strengths and focus.
