Admit rate has ranged 36%–55% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Manhattan School of Music is a fiercely specialized conservatory where the practice rooms hum at all hours, the faculty are working professionals from the New York music scene, and the campus pulses with over 600 live performances annually. While its 40% acceptance rate suggests accessibility, this is a no-nonsense training ground for classical, jazz, and musical theater artists who thrive under intense, individualized instruction—all set against the backdrop of NYC's cutthroat cultural landscape.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
539
In-state tuition
$57,050
Out-of-state tuition
$57,050
Acceptance Rate
~40%
Degrees Offered
BM, MM, DMA
Graduation Rate
76%
Specializations
Classical, Jazz, Musical Theater
Application Deadline
December 1
Annual Campus Concerts
600+
Student Body Diversity
50+ countries represented
Total Cost of Attendance
$84,475
Median Earnings After Graduation
$30,305
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$26,878
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
0.5×
Median debt at graduation
$26,994
Graduation rate
78%
First-year retention
93%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
66%
Pell (lower-income) share
31%
Endowment / student
$76,448
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Financial health
2.2 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Music$13,393
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
90
Summer high
83°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
54.3"
Annual snow
19.2"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
24
Scholarly works
184
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Manhattan School of Music?
Manhattan School of Music's acceptance rate is approximately 41% (New York, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does Manhattan School of Music cost?
At Manhattan School of Music, the average net price (after aid) is about $51,754 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Manhattan School of Music?
Manhattan School of Music enrolls approximately 539 undergraduate students.
Where is Manhattan School of Music located?
Manhattan School of Music is located in New York, NY.
Admissions
With an Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering around 40% (sources vary between 36-41%), MSM is selective but not prohibitively so—especially compared to elite liberal arts colleges. Notably, SAT/ACT scores aren't required, shifting focus entirely to auditions and musical portfolios. Applications are due December 1 for regular decision, aligning with conservatory norms. The admitted class represents nearly 50 countries, reflecting MSM's global pull for music training.
This is a pure-play conservatory—no gen-ed distractions, no football team, just relentless musical training. Degrees span bachelor's to Doctor of Musical Arts, with programs in:
Classical performance (including niche instruments like harp)
Jazz performance
Contemporary performance
Composition
Faculty are active NYC musicians, and the curriculum leans heavily on one-on-one studio instruction. Over 600 annual concerts on campus mean students perform constantly, whether in masterclasses, ensembles, or solo recitals. Reviews consistently highlight the faculty's industry connections and willingness to nurture individual artistic voices.
Life orbits around practice rooms, rehearsals, and NYC's music scene. There's little traditional college frivolity—no Greek life, limited dorms (many students live off-campus), and socializing often happens at late-night jam sessions. That said, student organizations like Fusion: One World celebrate the school's international diversity (students from 50+ countries). The real 'campus' extends into Lincoln Center jazz clubs and Broadway theaters, where students frequently score gigs.
The numbers tell a nuanced story: a 76% graduation rate (well above the 59% national average for 4-year colleges) but median earnings of $30,305 post-graduation—half the typical bachelor's degree holder's income. This reflects the freelance-heavy reality of music careers. Alumni often cobble together teaching, gigging, and session work; those who land orchestra jobs or Broadway contracts fare better. MSM's value lies in its NYC network, not a guaranteed paycheck.
Sticker shock is real: total cost of attendance hits $84,475, though the average aid package brings the Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. down to $51,879. About 69% of students receive some aid, with 56% getting grants (average $20,354). School-specific grants average $22,473, and 32% take out loans. The financial aid office emphasizes using their net price calculator, as awards heavily factor in artistic merit.
MSM offers unfiltered access to NYC's music ecosystem—faculty who play at the Met, classmates booking Broadway shows before graduation, and a no-nonsense focus on craft. It's not for dabblers: the workload is brutal, the costs high, and the post-grad income modest. But for those committed to life as performers, it provides industry immersion unmatched by university music departments. As one Reddit user put it after being accepted: 'This is where you go when you're serious.'
Manhattan School of Music logo · sourceCampus Photo Tour - Manhattan School of Music · sourceVisit MSM - Manhattan School of Music · sourceManhattan School of Music - Wikipedia · source
