Boston University

Boston University is a private, nonprofit school in an urban setting in Boston, Massachusetts. BU was founded in 1839 and now enrolls around 32,718 students a year, including 16,872 undergrads. BU provides on-campus housing for up to 10,551 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 80% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

There are many ways for students to get involved at BU! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of BU's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? BU students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? BU has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? BU has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at BU on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at BU on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2022 is January 1. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should hear from BU by April 1.

Is BU a Good School?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a closer look at each of these factors to get a better sense of what BU offers and if it might be a good fit for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for Boston University

It is very difficult to get into BU. Around 20% of applicants get into BU each year. Last year, 61,007 students applied to BU and 12,254 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at BU

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at BU, around 92% return for their sophomore year. Around 89% of students who started at BU earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for BU Grads

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Within six months of graduating, 57% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Recent BU grads have an average starting salary of $58,521 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

BU's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. BU's endowment was valued at $2.4 billion in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, BU spends about $39,246 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at BU

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. BU meets 87% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $56,442 a year.

In 2020, students graduated with an average of $43,486 in student loans for each student with debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at BU. Based on this information, how does BU sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is BU a good school for you?

If Boston University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Doing Your Research?

To learn more about BU, choose from the options below:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

BU Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the schools in the U.S.

Where is BU?

BU is located in the urban setting of Boston, Massachusetts.

If you want to see BU for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Massachusetts Turnpike to Boston, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Logan International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what BU and Boston are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in Massachusetts?

See a full list of colleges in Massachusetts and save your favorites to your college list.