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A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A+
  2. Value
    A
  3. Diversity
    A
  4. Campus
    A-
  5. Athletics
    A-
  6. Party Scene
    A
  7. Professors
    A+
  8. Location
    A
  9. Dorms
    C+
  10. Campus Food
    A+
  11. Student Life
    A
  12. Safety
    C+
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Boston University is ...
Private not-for-profit
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I (without football)
Athletic Conference
Patriot League
Address
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215
Website
bu.edu
From Boston University

Located in the heart of historic Boston, BU is a private teaching and research university ranked #39 among Best Global Universities. With 10 undergraduate schools and colleges, 250 majors and minors, more than 650 global courses, $1 million in research funding for undergraduates, and 100+ study abroad programs, the academic opportunities at BU are vast and varied. Thanks to thousands of research and internship opportunities—in the US and abroad—BU graduates are well prepared to lead in an interconnected world. In fact, BU graduates are ranked #6 globally for employability.

Boston University Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Application Deadline
January 2
Acceptance Rate
29%
SAT Range
1220-1420
ACT Range
28-32
Application Fee
$80
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Accepts Common App
Yes

Cost

Net Price
$31,539/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $21,773/ year
  • $30-48k
    $22,618/ year
  • $49-75k
    $26,232/ year
  • $76-110k
    $30,023/ year
  • $110k+
    $46,991/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
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  • Affordable fixed or variable rates
  • No application, origination or disbursement fees
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  • Loans from community lenders that put people before profits
  • Easy, online app with ability to add a cosigner in minutes
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  • Simple, straightforward student loans with an easy application
  • Flexible repayment options, and strong borrower protections

Academics

Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
10:1
Evening Degree Programs
Yes
73%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.183 responses
57%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.192 responses
42%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.192 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management
    878 Graduates
  • Communications
    347 Graduates
  • Psychology
    272 Graduates
  • Economics
    227 Graduates
  • International Relations and National Security Studies
    213 Graduates
  • Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
    159 Graduates
  • Health Service Preparatory Studies
    155 Graduates
  • Mechanical Engineering
    146 Graduates
  • Rehabilitation and Therapy
    134 Graduates
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
    131 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
16,628Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
2%
Pell Grant
13%
Varsity Athletes
4%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 125 responses
Report
  • Diverse
    31%
  • Motivated
    30%
  • Intelligent
    24%
  • There is no typical student
    6%
  • Intellectual
    3%
  • Different yet similar
    2%
  • Altruistic
    1%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
99%
Poll
54%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.241 responses
Poll
54%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.283 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 140 responses
Report
  • Diverse
    43%
  • Scholarly
    14%
  • Competitive
    11%
  • Wide ranging
    8%
  • Exciting
    8%
  • Awesome
    4%
  • Apathetic
    3%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$62,000/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
87%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
93%
National
83%
78%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.133 responses
Colleges like Boston University
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Boston University Reviews

3,139 reviews
All Categories
It is a great place to learn and delve deeper into your passions and to grow as a young adult for 4 years! BU's campus is a short 15 minute walk from the famed Newbury Street, and a short T ride to Downtown Crossing and Boston Harbor. As a New Yorker, the convenience and city life that Boston provides is unmatched anywhere else for someone looking to escape NYC. The professors truly encourage you to be better and care about your learning. The dining hall food has variety and is pretty good compared to most other schools' dining halls. As a low income student, I appreciate their generous scholarships that allows me to attend BU instead of a state school. I cannot say enough good things about the people you meet here!
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I absolutely love Boston University! I am actually an online student who lives in Seattle, Washington but recently had the chance to visit this Boston University in person this past February! The architecture is beautiful and the location is as well. I would have been attending the School of Social Work which is a separate campus and is right next to a beautiful body of water. Since I do not attend BU in person, I would love to say that my online professors have been more than helpful; they have personally inspired me as well as motivated me. My professors go above and beyond for me, this is why I will always choose Boston University and recommend this school to everyone!
BU had a great atmosphere but not the best education, at least for us Political Science Majors. My last year, and also the year I focused mostly on PS, all the teachers were leaving and during the graduation speech, the Professor that spoke spoke about how happy he was to be leaving. But, I was an athlete and that comes with some great perks! You get to register for classes first and also build such a big family. I didn't partake in Greek life, but I heard it was super fun. So, like I said great life, not such a great education. But I did concentrate in Film and Television and that was such a great program!