Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music reported $460.3 million in revenue and $464.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $81.62 went to program services, $17.91 to management and general costs and $0.47 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 94.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,300,166 (FORMER PRESIDENT). 467 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 25% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $465MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $460MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 81.6% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.9% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.14 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 3.5% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 94.4% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,300,166 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.28% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 467 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 15.3 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 32 of 33 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseEducation and instruction: the program is provided to develop the skills and knowledge of students seeking degrees in music, theater, and dance. The college provides outstanding faculty and teaching facilities for over 8,369 students from the US and 134 foreign countries. The college also offers a new way for artists around the world to join the global music community-as performers, as practitioners, and as leaders with the college's first international campus in valencia
Berklee online offered accredited degree and certificate programs, as well as individual courses, in music production, performance, songwriting, music business, composition, electronic music, and core music studies, serving approximately 14,000 students
Auxiliary services: the college has residence hall facilities to provide housing for those students that choose to live at the college. The college also provides meal plans for both students in housing and those commuter students that choose this plan
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMER PRESIDENT Former, 0.00 hrs/week | $1,250,000 | $0 | $50,166 | $1,300,166 |
| INTERIM PRESIDENT & PROVOST Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $577,646 | $0 | $67,085 | $644,731 |
| EVP & CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $531,568 | $0 | $60,198 | $591,766 |
| INTERIM CFO (END 5/25) Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $408,403 | $0 | $67,085 | $475,488 |
| SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT (END 1/25) Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $415,775 | $0 | $54,520 | $470,295 |
| SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $401,380 | $0 | $48,783 | $450,163 |
| VP & CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $356,028 | $0 | $59,860 | $415,888 |
| SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $342,591 | $0 | $65,644 | $408,235 |
467 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Berklee College of Music (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.5M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b33 · 32 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 55,254
- Volunteers Part I, line 639
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| ARAMARK SERVICES INC Food services | $7,821,001 |
| ACME BUILDING SERVICES INC Custodial services | $5,662,440 |
| GOOGLE INC Advertising | $4,824,660 |
| META PLATFORMS INC Marketing | $3,098,473 |
| TISHMAN CONSTRUCTION CORP OF MASS Construction | $2,920,468 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 113 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
48 private foundations reported grants to Berklee College of Music totaling $2.1M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Berklee College of Music's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Berklee College of Music, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Berklee College of Music spent in FY2025, $81.62 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Rockefeller UniversityNew York, NY · revenue $458M · programs 84.1% · FY2025
- The Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, IL · revenue $464M · programs 89.1% · FY2025
- Bar Ilan University in IsraelNew York, NY · revenue $458M · programs 71.1% · FY2025
- The Ojc FundBrooklyn, NY · revenue $469M · programs 99.1% · FY2025
- Uma EducationTampa, FL · revenue $457M · programs 85.0% · 2024
All education charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of Berklee College of Music's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, Berklee College of Music reported that 81.6% of its $464.7 million in expenses went to program services, 17.9% to management and general and 0.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Berklee College of Music pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Berklee College of Music reported for one person in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 was $1,300,166, for the role of FORMER PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Berklee College of Music get its money?
Of $460.3 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, 3.5% came from contributions and grants (including 0.9% from government grants) and 94.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Berklee College of Music a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-2300472 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, object 202640989349301629 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, object 202521049349301642 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2023, object 202411039349300416 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022, object 202321039349301437 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2021, object 202211039349301221 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, object 202111059349301621 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-2300472: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.