Berklee College of Music lays off 70 employees, no faculty

"Berklee College of Music laid off 3 percent of its employees across its campuses, affecting 70 staff members and no faculty positions, a spokesperson said. The workforce reduction will not impact any programs or academic offerings, a spokesperson for the prestigious music college said in a statement to Boston.com Thursday. The staff members were impacted globally. Berklee has campuses in Boston's Back Bay, New York City, and Valencia, Spain."

"In the letter, Lucchese pointed to "rising costs, a dynamic enrollment environment, and shifting national policies." Universities across the country, including Massachusetts colleges, are facing budget cuts amid federal funding freezes and drops in international student enrollment. Since President Donald Trump took office, some Berklee students saw their visas revoked, and the summer saw heightened vetting of visas and travel bans."

Berklee College of Music laid off 3 percent of its employees globally, affecting 70 staff members and no faculty positions. The workforce reduction will not impact academic programs or offerings. Affected employees will be offered severance, subsidized continuation of health care, and career transition support. The college cited rising costs, a dynamic enrollment environment, and shifting national policies as reasons for the cuts. Higher education institutions are facing budget pressures from federal funding freezes and declines in international student enrollment. In 2024, Berklee enrolled just over 7,500 students, with 40 percent international students from 100 countries.

Read at Boston.com