Boston University
Basic Information
Type
Private
Geographical Reach
National
Location
Boston, MA
Population
4,000,000
Website
http://www.bu.edu/
Demographics
Total Undergraduates
17,850
Men / Women
42% / 58%
White
37%
International
21%
Asian
19%
Hispanic
10%
Black
6%
Mixed
4%
Native American
0%
From State
15%
From Region
21%
Academics
Undergraduate Degrees
Business & Economics
27%
Life & Natural Sciences
14%
Arts
8%
Computer Science
8%
Engineering
8%
Health Sciences
5%
Physical Sciences & Math
4%
Education
1%
Financial
Tuition & Fees
$69,870
Est. Cost of Attendance
$86,285
10-Year ROI
$229,000
ROI Percentile
90th
Retention & Graduation
Full-Time Retention
95%
4-Year Graduation Rate
75%
6-Year Graduation Rate
89%
Transfer-Out Rate
0%
Weather
Comfortable Days
110 (71%)
Sunshine Hours
2,634 (56%)
Days Without Precipitation
239 (33%)
Admissions
Uses Common App
Yes
Acceptance Rate
11%
Yield (Unbound)
20%
Early Decision 1
Nov 1
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Early Decision 2
Jan 15
Research
Research Level
R1
Expenditure
| Humanities & Social Sciences | $48M | #30 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | $532M | #39 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | $146M | #43 |
Graduate Degrees
| Humanities & Social Sciences | 558 | #14 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | 666 | #21 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | 107 | #53 |
Honors College
Name
Kilachand Honors College
Students
500 (3%)
Standardized Tests
Test Scores
Test Policy
optional
Submitted Test Scores
43%
SAT Range
1440
–
1510
SAT Math Range
730
–
780
SAT RW Range
690
–
750
ACT Range
32
–
34
Earnings by Major Category
Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Arts and Sciences | 2,222 | 41% / 59% | 24% | $81,916 | 93% | ||
| Computer Science | 328 +23 | 72% / 28% | 34% | $137,182 | 99 | 98% | |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 33 — | 64% / 36% | 24% | $123,377 | 99 | — | |
| Astronomy | 15 — | 47% / 53% | 20% | $78,309 | 72 | — | |
| Chemistry | 22 — | 32% / 68% | 18% | $56,778 | 18 | 83% | |
| Chemistry | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 33% | $56,778 | 18 | 83% | |
| Computational Mathematics | 26 — | 50% / 50% | 50% | $97,481 | 91 | — | |
| Mathematics | 84 +13 | 56% / 44% | 57% | $71,541 | 59 | 89% | |
| Physical Sciences | 2 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $77,354 | 70 | — | |
| Physics | 20 +2 | 75% / 25% | 25% | $79,800 | 74 | — | |
| Biochemistry | 5 — | 0% / 100% | 20% | $75,390 | 67 | 91% | |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 53 +1 | 40% / 60% | 19% | $75,390 | 67 | 91% | |
| Biology | 169 +4 | 30% / 70% | 11% | $67,946 | 50 | 93% | |
| Conservation Biology | 17 — | 24% / 76% | 0% | $58,367 | 22 | 85% | |
| Environmental Science | 31 +1 | 19% / 81% | 6% | $62,853 | 35 | — | |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | 25 +1 | 52% / 48% | 4% | $58,367 | 22 | 85% | |
| Molecular Biology | 69 +1 | 33% / 67% | 4% | $75,390 | 67 | 91% | |
| Neuroscience | 122 +9 | 28% / 72% | 9% | $73,425 | 63 | 92% | |
| Economics | 237 +27 | 59% / 41% | 51% | $88,959 | 85 | 96% | |
| Economics and Computer Science | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 33% | $93,920 | 89 | — | |
| Mathematical Economics | 51 — | 59% / 41% | 78% | $95,166 | 89 | — | |
| American Studies | 2 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $57,180 | 19 | — | |
| Ancient Studies/Civilization | 6 +5 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $66,093 | 44 | — | |
| Anthropology | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $52,648 | 10 | 100% | |
| Archaeology | 6 +5 | 50% / 50% | 17% | $61,486 | 31 | — | |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $57,382 | 19 | — | |
| Chinese | 3 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $51,714 | 9 | — | |
| Classical Languages | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $51,997 | 9 | — | |
| Comparative Literature | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $49,068 | 6 | 91% | |
| Counseling Psychology | — — | — | — | $61,883 | 32 | — | |
| Cultural Anthropology | 7 +1 | 29% / 71% | 29% | $52,648 | 10 | 100% | |
| East Asian Languages | — — | — | — | $51,541 | 9 | — | |
| English | 43 +2 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $55,841 | 16 | 91% | |
| European Studies/Civilization | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $57,412 | 19 | — | |
| French | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $54,222 | 13 | 84% | |
| Geoarcheaology | 2 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $65,886 | 44 | — | |
| German | — — | — | — | $51,579 | 9 | — | |
| History | 36 +8 | 36% / 64% | 6% | $50,739 | 8 | 91% | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 21 +1 | 43% / 57% | 10% | $116,242 | 98 | 88% | |
| International Affairs | 142 +14 | 28% / 72% | 17% | $74,117 | 64 | 92% | |
| Japanese | 1 +1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $51,884 | 9 | — | |
| Latin American Studies | — +1 | — | — | $57,303 | 19 | — | |
| Linguistics | 3 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $49,068 | 6 | 91% | |
| Linguistics | 18 +1 | 50% / 50% | 6% | $49,068 | 6 | 91% | |
| Medical Anthropology | 3 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $52,648 | 10 | 100% | |
| Philosophy | 56 +11 | 45% / 55% | 9% | $66,665 | 46 | 96% | |
| Physical and Biological Anthropology | 5 — | 40% / 60% | 20% | $52,648 | 10 | 100% | |
| Political Science | 114 +17 | 32% / 68% | 6% | $69,721 | 54 | 91% | |
| Psychology | 313 +35 | 19% / 81% | 23% | $60,374 | 27 | 92% | |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 3 +4 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $56,769 | 18 | — | |
| Social Sciences | 32 +1 | 25% / 75% | 3% | $77,557 | 71 | 94% | |
| Sociology | 42 +3 | 17% / 83% | 19% | $71,736 | 59 | 91% | |
| Spanish | 2 +3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $54,222 | 13 | 84% | |
| Architectural History and Criticism | 17 +3 | 41% / 59% | 24% | $69,573 | 54 | — | |
| Art History | 22 — | 9% / 91% | 9% | $56,132 | 17 | 84% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Communication | 604 | 27% / 73% | 26% | $74,948 | 96% | ||
| Advertising and Public Relations | 165 +6 | 22% / 78% | 30% | $83,801 | 80 | 96% | |
| Communication | 50 +1 | 32% / 68% | 40% | $84,361 | 80 | 95% | |
| Journalism | 88 +2 | 32% / 68% | 7% | $73,406 | 63 | 99% | |
| Public Relations | 126 +4 | 13% / 87% | 40% | $83,801 | 80 | 96% | |
| Film Studies | 6 — | 0% / 100% | 33% | $48,904 | 6 | 96% | |
| Film and Television | 169 +5 | 40% / 60% | 17% | $58,649 | 23 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Engineering | 354 | 66% / 34% | 20% | $106,454 | 97% | ||
| Biomedical Engineering | 121 — | 46% / 54% | 21% | $98,562 | 92 | 99% | |
| Computer Engineering | 70 +2 | 83% / 17% | 27% | $138,076 | 99 | 98% | |
| Electrical Engineering | 28 +2 | 68% / 32% | 14% | $112,437 | 97 | 97% | |
| Engineering Physics | 5 — | 60% / 40% | 20% | $120,991 | 98 | — | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 130 +2 | 75% / 25% | 17% | $94,926 | 89 | 95% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Fine Arts | 133 | 30% / 70% | 5% | $46,573 | 94% | ||
| Acting | 19 — | 58% / 42% | 0% | $35,979 | 1 | 94% | |
| Art Education | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $57,414 | 19 | 100% | |
| Art/Art Studies | 4 — | 25% / 75% | 0% | $56,132 | 17 | 84% | |
| Directing and Theatrical Production | 6 — | 17% / 83% | 0% | $35,979 | 1 | 94% | |
| Graphic Design | 24 — | 12% / 88% | 8% | $71,353 | 58 | 100% | |
| Music | 11 — | 18% / 82% | 18% | $41,316 | 2 | 93% | |
| Music Education | 4 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $57,414 | 19 | 100% | |
| Music Performance | 18 +1 | 33% / 67% | 6% | $41,316 | 2 | 93% | |
| Music Theory and Composition | 3 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $41,316 | 2 | 93% | |
| Painting | 8 — | 25% / 75% | 0% | $56,132 | 17 | 84% | |
| Printmaking | 1 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $56,132 | 17 | 84% | |
| Sculpture | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $56,132 | 17 | 84% | |
| Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology | 13 — | 8% / 92% | 8% | $35,979 | 1 | 94% | |
| Theatre | 20 — | 40% / 60% | 0% | $35,979 | 1 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan College | 3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $67,534 | 94% | ||
| Criminal Justice | 3 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $67,534 | 48 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questrom School of Business | 725 | 50% / 50% | 31% | $102,086 | 93% | ||
| Business Administration | 713 — | 51% / 49% | 31% | $102,943 | 94 | 93% | |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 12 — | 17% / 83% | 17% | $51,214 | 8 | 91% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences | 363 | 22% / 78% | 7% | $71,339 | 96% | ||
| Nutrition Sciences | 18 — | 6% / 94% | 56% | $68,485 | 51 | 100% | |
| Physiology | 109 — | 27% / 73% | 4% | $61,095 | 29 | 100% | |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician | 3 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $112,607 | 97 | 100% | |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | 12 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $71,937 | 60 | 100% | |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences | 27 — | 33% / 67% | 15% | $79,591 | 74 | 95% | |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 138 — | 17% / 83% | 3% | $75,810 | 67 | 93% | |
| Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies | 20 — | 65% / 35% | 0% | $75,499 | 67 | — | |
| Rehabilitation Science | 36 — | 14% / 86% | 6% | $74,512 | 65 | 96% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Hospitality Administration | 43 | 40% / 60% | 16% | $51,214 | 91% | ||
| Hospitality Management | 43 — | 40% / 60% | 16% | $51,214 | 8 | 91% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelock College of Education and Human Development | 58 | 5% / 95% | 21% | $56,408 | 99% | ||
| Youth Services/Administration | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $52,596 | 10 | 96% | |
| Bilingual and Multilingual Education | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 100% | $57,846 | 21 | — | |
| Early Childhood Education | 8 — | 0% / 100% | 50% | $55,608 | 15 | 96% | |
| Education | 27 +1 | 4% / 96% | 19% | $55,425 | 15 | 100% | |
| Education of Hearing Impaired | — — | — | — | $58,808 | 23 | — | |
| Elementary Education | 7 — | 0% / 100% | 14% | $55,608 | 15 | 96% | |
| English Education | 3 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $57,414 | 19 | 100% | |
| Foreign Language Teacher Education | — — | — | — | $57,733 | 20 | — | |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $57,414 | 19 | 100% | |
| Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education | 2 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $57,414 | 19 | 100% | |
| Social Studies Teacher Education | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $57,414 | 19 | 100% | |
| Special Education and Teaching | 7 — | 0% / 100% | 14% | $61,254 | 30 | 100% |
Rankings
Academics
Crying in the Library at 3 AM
Toughest Schools
Caffeine Required
College Costs
We Marked It Up Just to Put It on Sale
Highest List Price
Luxury Good
Politically Correct
Protest 101
Woke to the Bone
Activist Pipeline
My Tribe
Open Boarders
Most International Students
Diverse Campus
Call Your Mother!
Most Jewish
Significant Community
Engineering
It Actually IS Rocket Science
Aerospace Engineering
CubeSat Crew
Pre-Med Hidding in Plain Sight
Biomedical Engineering
Cutting Edge
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes.
Materials Engineering
Polymer Players
WD-40 & Duct Tape
Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Whiteboard-preferred
Computer Science
Chat-GPT? Claude? I can do better.
Artificial Intelligence
Solid Programs
Explaining That HTML is Not a Programming Language
Computer Science (A&S)
10k-Student Server Crashers
Physical Sciences & Math
Breaking Bad
Chemistry
Pre-Med Darwinian Thunderdome
Rocks and Whales
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Fossil Hunters
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite
Physics & Astronomy
Pen, Paper, and Existential Dread (Theory)
No Words Allowed
Pure Mathematics
Equation Elegance
Life & Natural Sciences
Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room
Biology
The Double Helix
Doomsday Prepping with Data
Environmental Science
Green Scholars
Memorizing 206 Bones
Human Biology
Bone Collectors
Action Potentials
Neuroscience
Serotonin Seekers
Health Sciences
Open Wide
Dentistry & Oral Health
Express Drill Track
Behind Every Doctor
Health Services
Allied Health All-Stars
Legal Drug Dealers
Pharmacy
Pill Counters
Talk About a Career
Phonoaudiology
SLP Specialists
Saving Lives One Spreadsheet At a Time
Public Health
Epidemiology Elite
Walk It Off
Rehabilitation
Heat, Ice, Repeat
Sweat Equity
Sports & Fitness
Game Day Ready
Business & Economics
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings
Business Administration
Suit & Tie on a Tuesday Pre-Professionals
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets
Business Analytics
SQL Slingers
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro
Economics
Urban Economists & Regional Anchors
Move Fast, Break Tuition
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Startup Scene
Wolf of Wall Street Prep
Finance
Midtown Manhattan Waiting Room
The Spreadsheet Doctors
Healthcare Administration
VP of Patient Throughput
May I Take Your Order?
Hospitality & Tourism
Industry Connected
Office Politics 101
Human Resources
Culture Architects
Tik-Tok Generation
Marketing
Getting There
Ballers, Shot Callers & Hollywood Hustlers
Sports & Entertainment Business
Aspiring Ari Golds
Humanities & Social Sciences
Much Ado About Nothing
English, Literature & Writing
Bookworm Elite
Mappy Few, the Cartography Crew
Geography & Cartography
Plot Twisters
Model UN Generation
Government & Politics
Diplomat Track
Hindsight is 20/20 (And So is My Salary)
History & Archaeology
Footnote Masters
Passport Stamp Collectors
International Relations
Foreign Service Bound
Nosy for a Living
Journalism
The "We Trained the Anchor You're Watching" Cartel
Future Lawyers (and Their Future Anxiety)
Law
Pre-Law Prowess
I'll Figure Out the Career Later
Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary
Dabbler Deluxe
Professional Yapping
Media & Communication Studies
The "Our Alumni Control Your Feed" Mafia
The "Why Are We Here?" Support Group
Philosophy & Ethics
The Questioners
Spin Class
Professional Communication
The "Damage Control" Dream Team
I Want To Understand Myself
Psychology
Future Roommate Diagnosers
Arguing with God for a Grade
Religion
Sunday School Professors
Everything is a Construct
Sociology & Anthropology
Survey Says
Grammar Police Academy
World Languages & Linguistics
Morpheme Masters
Education
Surviving PTA Karens
General Education
Lesson Planners
Hablas Pedagogy?
Languages Education
Grammar Gurus
History Repeats Itself
Social Sciences Education
Document-Based Question Crew
Everyone Gets a Medal
Special Education
Resource Room Heroes
Gym Class Heroes and Art Teachers
Specific Subjects Education
Niche Educators
Show Your Work, Then Teach It
STEM Education
Equation Educators
Arts
Lights, Camera, Tuition
Film
Festival Circuit Royalty
Eight Hours of Scales
Music
Pit Orchestra Pros
Theatre Kid Generation
Performing Arts
Encore Worthy