Boston University
Boston University is a private nonprofit university in Boston, MA, with about 32,537 students on campus and 4,087 more studying only online.
The short version on Boston University
Boston University admits a smaller share of applicants than almost any college
It admits 11% of applicants, about 1 in 9. The middle half of admitted students scored 1420–1530 on the SAT. Getting in ↓
Nearly everyone who starts here finishes
89% of students graduate within six years, more than at 95% of 4-year colleges. 95% of first-year students come back for a second year. Outcomes ↓
What you pay depends heavily on your income
Families earning under $30,000 pay about $9,500 a year after grants. Families over $110,000 pay $47,504, 5 times as much. What it costs ↓
Few families pay the sticker price
The full cost of a year is $86,285, but the average family on federal aid pays $24,402 after grants, about 72% less. What it costs ↓
Family background barely changes what graduates earn
Ten years after starting, students from lower-income families earn a median $82,963, about the same as the $84,188 earned by students from families making over $75,000. Outcomes ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.
How hard is it to get into Boston University?
of applicants admitted
About 2 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1480.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $86,285 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $24,402.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $47,112 over 4 years · 86% off the sticker price
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$246 a month against about $5,471 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 97% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
18,248 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Boston
15% of Boston’s 672,973 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Boston pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Boston University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.