Boston University

Boston University Overview

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 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.

Excited for Greek life? 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 find out if they got admitted by April 1.

Is BU a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how competitive an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. 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 to get a better sense of what BU offers and if it might be the right college for you.

BU Acceptance Rate 2021

It is very difficult to get into BU. BU admitted 20% of all applicants in 2021. Out of 61,007 applications received in 2021, 12,254 students were offered admission.

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% are still enrolled their sophomore year. BU's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 89%. 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 Outlook BU Graduates

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. 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. The school spends $39,246 for each full-time student enrolled.

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.

The average student debt for graduates in the class of 2021 was around $43,486 per student, not including those with no 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 financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. 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 another! 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?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

BU Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the colleges and universities in the U.S.

Where is Boston University Located?

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 Going to School in Massachusetts?

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