Curtis Institute of Music is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 109 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
80/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes99
Value—
Affordability1
Selectivity99
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 4.6%, Curtis Institute of Music is among the most selective colleges in the country.
Acceptance Rate
4.6%
Highly Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Curtis Institute of Music is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
3.0 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Curtis Institute of Music isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. Net-price data is not yet reported for this school.
Average Net Price
—
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
1%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$0
Room & Board (on-campus)
$21,035
Room & Board (off-campus)
$18,000
Books & Supplies
$4,530
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,892
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,782
Application fee: $150 (one-time, due at submission)
What this means:
Only 1% of students at Curtis Institute of Music receive Pell grants. Most enrolled families don't qualify for need-based federal aid.
Graduation Rate & Retention
98% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
98%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Post-graduation earnings data is not yet reported for Curtis Institute of Music.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
—
Earning > $25K
—
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Who Studies Here
Curtis Institute of Music is home to 109 students, an intimate, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
109
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
—
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
International 45.9%50
White 26.6%29
Asian 13.8%15
Other 9.2%10
Hispanic 2.8%3
Black 1.8%2
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Curtis Institute of Music. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Housing
Strongly residential102 beds for 109 students
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Curtis Institute of Music offers
a focused set of programs:
3 distinct programs across
1 major.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Curtis Institute of Music is 2:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
2:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$366M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$76,809
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
34 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
No Rank
34
100%
$76,809
Pros & Cons of Curtis Institute of Music
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Curtis Institute of Music tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Highly selective, strong peer cohort
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Strong first-year retention
CONS
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Most students don't qualify for need-based federal aid
Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for:
Based on the data, Curtis Institute of Music is a fit for
students seeking a highly selective peer group; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Curtis Institute of Music
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Curtis Institute of Music.
Is Curtis Institute of Music hard to get into?
Yes. Curtis Institute of Music is among the most selective colleges in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 4.6%. Successful applicants typically have top-decile test scores and strong academic, extracurricular, and recommendation profiles.
What is the acceptance rate at Curtis Institute of Music?
Curtis Institute of Music has an acceptance rate of 4.6%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What is Curtis Institute of Music known for?
Curtis Institute of Music is best known for its programs in Music, Music, Music. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Curtis Institute of Music accredited?
Yes. Curtis Institute of Music is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Curtis Institute of Music?
Curtis Institute of Music enrolls 109 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
Is Curtis Institute of Music a public or private college?
Curtis Institute of Music is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Curtis Institute of Music located?
Curtis Institute of Music is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Curtis Institute of Music offer?
Curtis Institute of Music offers 3 distinct programs. The most popular include Music, Music, Music.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Curtis Institute of Music?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Curtis Institute of Music is 2:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Pennsylvania
Other colleges in Pennsylvania share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.