- The Inkwell
- Massachusetts
- Boston University
Boston, MACity: largeZIP 02215Founded 1869
- Sector
- Private nonprofit
- Founded
- 1869
- Carnegie class
- Doctoral: very high research activity (R1)
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Federal aid since
- 1965
- Website
- www.bu.edu
- Member of
- AAU
MassachusettsPrivate nonprofit
Boston University
Boston University is a private nonprofit university in Boston, Massachusetts, with 18,248 undergraduates. It admits 11% of applicants, graduates 90% within six years and costs $36,503 a year after aid.
90%graduate
Admission rate11%
Retention95%
4-year graduation82%
Pell Grant share21%
Federal loans30%
$36,503net price / year
11%admission rate
1480average SAT
90%graduate in 6 years
$89,087median earnings, 10 yrs
$17,500median debt
#122 of 1,704 for earnings#1,611 of 1,739 for lowest net price#72 of 1,738 for graduation rate#39 of 1,552 for selectivity
what it costs
Cost and net price
Net price is the average annual cost after grants and scholarships for full-time students who receive federal aid; it varies with family income.
Published cost
- Cost of attendance
- $90,106tuition, fees, housing, books, per year
- Tuition & fees, in-state
- $71,372
- Tuition & fees, out-of-state
- $71,372
- Average net price
- $36,503national median $19,980
Net price by family income
$0–30,000$16,336
$30,001–48,000$39,763
$48,001–75,000$52,880
$75,001–110,000$70,352
$110,001+$83,101
getting in
Admissions and test scores
Admission
- Admission rate
- 11%national median 77%
- Average SAT
- 1480
- SAT reading, middle 50%
- 690–750
- SAT math, middle 50%
- 730–780
- ACT composite, middle 50%
- 32–34
Against the national median
Admission rate · this college11%
Admission rate · U.S. median77%
Retention · this college95%
Retention · U.S. median76%
Graduation · this college90%
Graduation · U.S. median55%
Pell share · this college21%
Pell share · U.S. median39%
after enrolling
Graduation, earnings and debt
Completion
- Graduation rate, 6 years
- 90%within 150% of normal time
- Graduation rate, 4 years
- 82%
- First-year retention
- 95%
- Award within 8 years, all students
- 91%
Earnings and debt
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $71,021
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $89,087middle 50%: $61,432–$131,130
- Median debt at graduation
- $17,500
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Earnings ten years after entry
Upper quarter$131,130
Median, Boston University$89,087
Lower quarter$61,432
U.S. median, all colleges$58,886
Former students working and not enrolled · College Scorecard
who studies here
Students and faculty
Undergraduates
- Degree-seeking undergraduates
- 18,248
- Part-time
- 1.1%
- Women / men
- 58% / 42%
- Average age at entry
- 20.0
- First-generation students
- 17%
- Pell Grant recipients
- 21%
Faculty and resources
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- 10 : 1
- Full-time faculty
- 70%
- Average faculty salary
- $16,623 / month
- Instructional spending per student
- $35,988
- Endowment, end of year
- $3,528,624,000
Race and ethnicity, undergraduates
White32%
Hispanic12%
Black5.9%
Asian20%
Two or more races4.7%
U.S. nonresident21%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
Unknown3.8%
24 fields of study
Most popular fields
Share of bachelor’s degrees awarded, by broad field (CIP family).
Business & management16%
Communication & journalism14%
Social sciences14%
Biological & biomedical sciences11%
Computer & information sciences10%
Engineering9.0%
Psychology5.0%
Health professions5.0%
keep comparing
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit colleges in Massachusetts
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | $29,060 | 91% | $99,371 |
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | $38,930 | 90% | $112,178 |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | $19,148 | 97% | $121,957 |
| Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | $47,587 | 73% | $43,451 |
| Tufts University Medford, MA | $38,797 | 94% | $89,187 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | $43,885 | 90% | $113,513 |
Same Carnegie class, similar price
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York University New York, NY | $35,737 | 88% | $90,957 |
| University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | $36,483 | 84% | $84,093 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | $35,780 | 94% | $125,257 |
| George Washington University Washington, DC | $35,760 | 82% | $96,691 |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $33,056 | 90% | $103,420 |
| University of Rochester Rochester, NY | $34,347 | 83% | $88,358 |
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education — institution file, most recent cohorts. UNITID 164988. Founding year, motto and memberships: Wikidata Q49110.