Boston University
- 4 Year
- BOSTON, MA
CollegeGrad School
Boston University
- grade A+Overall Grade
- 4 Year
- BOSTON, MA
- Rating 3.67 out of 5 3,515 reviews
Report Card
- Academicsgrade A+
- Valuegrade A
- Diversitygrade A+
- Campusgrade B
- Athleticsgrade A
- Party Scenegrade A
- Professorsgrade A+
- Locationgrade A+
- Dormsgrade B minus
- Campus Foodgrade A minus
- Student Lifegrade A+
- Safetygrade B
About
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I (without football)
Athletic Conference
Patriot League
From Boston University
Located in the heart of historic Boston, BU is a private teaching and research university. With 10 undergraduate schools and colleges, 300+ majors and minors, more than 650 global courses, $1 million in research funding for undergraduates, and 70+ 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 #10 for employability in the US.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
Winter Visit Day
View Event Description
Get on campus and learn all about BU! You’ll get to learn about the admissions process, visit a school or college, eat lunch in a dining hall, and meet our students!
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 4
Acceptance Rate
20%
SAT Range
1310-1500
ACT Range
30-34
Application Fee
$80
SAT/ACT
Considered but not required
High School GPA
Required
Accepts Common App
Yes
Will You Get In?
Will You Get Into BU?
Test Scores and High School GPA for Boston University See Other Colleges
Cost
Net Price
$29,154 / year
National
$15,523Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Average Total Aid Awarded
$45,724 / year
National
$7,535Students Receiving Financial Aid
53%
Scholarship
Academics
Professors
grade A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
5:1
Evening Degree Programs
Yes
73%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes. 183 responses55%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want. 224 responses39%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage. 224 responsesMajors
Most Popular Majors
- Business744 Graduates
- Communications428 Graduates
- Economics300 Graduates
- Psychology264 Graduates
- Computer Science232 Graduates
- International Relations220 Graduates
- Radio and Television196 Graduates
- Health Service Preparatory Studies182 Graduates
- Mechanical Engineering160 Graduates
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering143 Graduates
Merit Scholarships for First-Year Students
BU offers a wide variety of merit scholarships, some even covering full tuition, to recognize high achieving students who go above and beyond. Most awards are for academic achievement, while others go to talented athletes, performers, and artists. Visit our website to learn more and apply by the deadline.
Online
Online Programs Offered
0
Offers Online Courses
Yes
Online Certificate Programs
0
Online Associates Programs
0
Online Bachelor's Programs
0
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
16,026 Undergrads
Part-Time Undergrads
846
Undergrads Over 25
3%
Pell Grant
17%
Varsity Athletes
5%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
99%
Poll
53%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join. 273 responsesPoll
55%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life. 315 responsesAfter College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$65,300 / year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
89%
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 responsesBoston University Reviews
Rating 3.67 out of 5 3,515 reviews
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Coming from a much smaller college, I think that the people, resources, and academics that BU offers are amazing. The campus is great and the food will not kill you (a surprisingly underrated factor in college decisions.) However, my issue is mostly with their financial aid admin. They WILL NOT help you or be transparent with you about what you need to do or what options are available, especially as a transfer student. The school will overcharge you--tack on the most expensive rooms (you can't choose your own,) a bunch of hidden fees, etc, especially in that first year. It really seems like the school is particularly money hungry despite being one of the 'world's premiere research institutions.' My advice: stack your scholarships before applying. Great school if you can actually make it to campus!
The professors are great and do cool research. That's about it.
The living situation is far worse than comparably-ranked schools, dorms have constant rodent/pest infestations.
The social life is lacking since the campus is spread out and many students can be closed off to new friends after freshman year (not that you won't make friends-- you probs will, but how fulfilling you'll find your social life will be luck-based. Once you're an upperclassman, "going out" = bars/clubs, so if you're 21+ and can afford that, come here! Otherwise, pick a school with real party/community culture.
Some of the gen ed classes can feel a little dumbed down (esp. post-Covid) and the career opportunities you get here are no better than a good state school. Mental health services here can feel adversarial/mildly malicious at times. The school is technically "diverse" but you won't find too many people of different financial or political backgrounds here.
TLDR: not worth taking out loans for.
The living situation is far worse than comparably-ranked schools, dorms have constant rodent/pest infestations.
The social life is lacking since the campus is spread out and many students can be closed off to new friends after freshman year (not that you won't make friends-- you probs will, but how fulfilling you'll find your social life will be luck-based. Once you're an upperclassman, "going out" = bars/clubs, so if you're 21+ and can afford that, come here! Otherwise, pick a school with real party/community culture.
Some of the gen ed classes can feel a little dumbed down (esp. post-Covid) and the career opportunities you get here are no better than a good state school. Mental health services here can feel adversarial/mildly malicious at times. The school is technically "diverse" but you won't find too many people of different financial or political backgrounds here.
TLDR: not worth taking out loans for.
Boston University is one of the best universities in the nation! The students welcome you with open arms and are eager to meet new people from different year levels, so it is very easy for people to get involved in the BU community. As for the faculty, specifically the CS and Mathematics professors, they are the absolute best! They are so helpful inside and outside of the classroom, trying their best to make sure that their lectures are engaging, and putting aside a lot of time outside of their class for office hours. And if a student can't meet during office hours, they always try to find a way to help you out by setting up a different time to meet to thoroughly explain concepts discussed in class, answer questions that a student had, talk about possible research projects, or just have a good one-on-one conversation to talk about anything. I absolutely love Boston University and its community, and I'm so proud to call myself a Terrier!