Juilliard Says It Plans to Raise $550M

The Juilliard School says it plans to raise $550 million and make the school tuition-free for all students. Fund-raising has begun but has a long way to go—$180 million has been pledged, most of it from the board of directors. The school declined to predict how long it would take.

Juilliard is one of the two top conservatories in the U.S. The other, equally if not more prestigious, is the Curtis Institute of Music, which has been tuition-free since four years after its founding in 1924. Also tuition-free is the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. Like Curtis, Colburn is relatively small, with 135 students; Curtis has about 160.  Juilliard has 750 in its music division; adding drama and dance departments, the total is 900. (All figures are according to the Musical America 2024-25 Guide to Music Schools.)

But Damian Woetzel, Juilliard’s president since 2018, is known for his fund-raising prowess. He tells the New York Times that he is “optimistic” that the $550 million will be reached, although he declined to say by when.

Juilliard’s tuition is $55,000 a year (note the similarity to the goal number). About 29 percent of students are on full scholarship, although it is not clear whether that number includes room and board, as it does for Curtis and Colburn.

The New York Times

Pictured: Damian Woetzel