Admit rate has ranged 7%–11% over the last 5 years. 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.
The Juilliard School isn't just a conservatory—it's a high-stakes proving ground for the world's most disciplined young artists. With an acceptance rate hovering around 9%, its Lincoln Center campus filters thousands of aspiring musicians, dancers, and actors into an intense crucible where 88% graduate into careers marked by early financial struggle but extraordinary creative payoff. This is where raw talent meets ruthless refinement.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
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
468
In-state tuition
$57,950
Out-of-state tuition
$57,950
Top Majors
Strings, Dance, Keyboard
Acceptance Rate
9.15%
Campus Location
Lincoln Center, NYC
Total Enrollment
~642
Application Deadline
December 1
6-Year Graduation Rate
88%
Median Early Career Salary
$36,427
Average Financial Aid Package
$48,135
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$37,827
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
0.9×
Median debt at graduation
$25,500
Graduation rate
93%
First-year retention
98%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
70%
Pell (lower-income) share
45%
Endowment / student
$2,986,506
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.
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
16
Scholarly works
193
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 The Juilliard School?
The Juilliard School's acceptance rate is approximately 9% (New York, NY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does The Juilliard School cost?
At The Juilliard School, the average net price (after aid) is about $43,571 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend The Juilliard School?
The Juilliard School enrolls approximately 468 undergraduate students.
Where is The Juilliard School located?
The Juilliard School is located in New York, NY.
Admissions
Gaining entry to Juilliard is a feat akin to landing a principal role at the Met—only 9.15% of applicants make the cut (1,890 hopefuls whittled down to 189 admits in recent years). The school doesn't care about SAT scores; your audition tape and live tryout are everything. December 1st is the ironclad deadline, with prescreening materials due even earlier for music applicants. While the Common Data Set (CDS)A standardized report most colleges publish each year with admissions, test-score, and financial-aid figures, making schools easier to compare. framework applies, Juilliard's real selection criteria are whispered in practice rooms: technical mastery at 17 that suggests future virtuosity.
Juilliard's curriculum is a triple threat: music (the oldest and largest division), dance, and drama, with strings, piano, and ballet dominating enrollment. Every undergraduate—whether studying Bartók or Beckett—gets wrung through liberal arts courses in philosophy and history, but the real education happens in 6-hour daily practice sessions. The workload is legendary; students describe surviving on "caffeine and chromatic scales." Faculty aren't just teachers—they're often active performers at the nearby Met or New York Philharmonic, turning masterclasses into networking opportunities.
Top 3 majors: Stringed Instruments, Dance, Keyboard Instruments
All students take literature, philosophy, and social sciences
Conservatory model with 1:4 faculty-student ratio in private lessons
Lincoln Center location provides direct pipeline to professional stages
Juilliard's campus life runs on two speeds: monastic isolation during practice marathons and explosive creativity at 2am jam sessions. The Office of Student Affairs organizes everything from salsa nights to mental health workshops, knowing students need pressure valves. Dorms become impromptu performance spaces—walk past a practice room at midnight and you might hear the next Yo-Yo Ma working out a Bach suite. Survival tips from current students? "Nap when you can" and "get outside Lincoln Center occasionally."
24/7 access to practice rooms and studios
Student Affairs hosts leadership programs and cultural events
Unofficial motto: "Sleep is for the less talented"
Instagram shows backstage collaborations and rooftop rehearsals
Juilliard's 88% six-year graduation rate is remarkable for an arts school, but the financial reality is harsh: alumni earn just $36,427 on average one year out. The payoff comes later—by decade's end, many reach $65,000 as they land orchestra tenures or Broadway contracts. The school's real currency isn't starting salaries but prestige; saying "I studied at Juilliard" opens doors at auditions worldwide. About 30% pivot to teaching, while the stubbornly talented endure the freelance grind until their big break.
88% graduate within 6 years
$36,427 median earnings at 1 year post-graduation
$65,000 median by year 10 for those staying in arts
Alumni network includes 105 Grammy winners and 16 MacArthur Fellows
At $52,250 annual tuition (before room/board), Juilliard seems designed for trust fund kids—until you learn 90% of students receive aid, with average packages covering $48,135 through scholarships and work-study. The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. Calculator accounts for everything from federal Pell Grants to Juilliard's own endowment funds. Most surprising? The school meets 100% of demonstrated need, though "need" is calculated differently for artists whose parents might own a Stradivarius but lack liquid assets.
$42,468 net price after average aid
90% receive financial assistance
$48,135 average aid package
100% demonstrated need met (via institutional methodology)
Juilliard isn't merely elite—it's the Olympic training center for performing arts. Where else would a 19-year-old violinist share a practice room with Itzhak Perlman (faculty since 1975), or a dancer take morning class alongside American Ballet Theatre principals? The school's power lies in its brutal selectivity and Lincoln Center adjacency; students literally cross the plaza to debut at the Met. While alumni earnings start low, the lifetime value of Juilliard's stamp—and its Rolodex—is incalculable in the arts world. This is the institution that turns prodigies into legends.
The Juilliard School logo · sourceJuilliard School - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · sourceDiller Scofidio + Renfro shares photography of the newly completed Tianjin Juilliard School · sourceThe Juilliard School Breaks Ground in China on Its First Overseas Campus, Releases Designs for The Tianjin Juilliard School | The Juilliard School · source
