More selective than 92% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $86,285. College Scorecard.
Higher than 80% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 79% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
BU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 80,495 applicants, Boston University admitted 8,733 and 3,145 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1420–1530 on the SAT or 32–34 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
BU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What BU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Boston University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,500 | $38,855 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $9,342 | $38,209 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,778 | $48,172 | 1.1 years |
| $75–110k | $22,517 | $92,095 | 2.1 years |
| $110k+ | $47,504 | $194,291 | 4.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (83% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($83,238) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $43,358 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
BU majors, earnings & careers
Boston University offers 79 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 14
- Science & Math · 13
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Engineering · 7
- Arts & Design · 6
- Education · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at BU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $136,667 | $23,250 |
| Computer Engineering | $135,394 | $26,866 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $110,622 | $22,625 |
| Business Administration | $108,412 | $25,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $99,024 | $26,848 |
| Electrical Engineering | $98,953 | $26,646 |
| Economics | $96,723 | $24,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,757 | $26,400 |
Quick list of all 79 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology$53,722
- Applied Mathematics—
- Archeology—
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biochemistry$64,112
- Biology$61,610
- Biomedical Engineering$99,024
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$55,804
- Business Administration$108,412
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications$80,306
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$135,394
- Computer Science$136,667
- Criminal Justice—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$57,967
- Economics$96,723
- Education$56,556
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$54,766
- Education (Subject Teaching)$59,858
- Education, Other$54,883
- Electrical Engineering$98,953
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$58,564
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Film and Photography—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$72,809
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$83,413
- Health Sciences$78,431
- History$59,986
- Hospitality Management$82,302
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- International Relations$66,661
- Journalism$65,617
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,044
- Linguistics—
- Mathematical Economics—
- Mathematics$84,784
- Mechanical Engineering$95,757
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$110,622
- Music$39,426
- Neuroscience$68,888
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy$68,026
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Physiology$62,342
- Political Science$66,373
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$63,838
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$51,086
- Psychology (Research)$55,066
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$72,566
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work$63,594
- Sociology$63,791
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$57,294
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art$49,538
- Theatre$39,322
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boston
Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,008. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 49 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Suffolk County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Suffolk County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare BU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University | 11% | $24,402 | 89% | $83,238 | This school |
| Northeastern University | 5% | $30,915 | 91% | $92,538 | |
| Boston College | 16% | $41,704 | 91% | $103,937 | |
| Tufts University | 11% | $39,998 | 94% | $83,214 | |
| Harvard University | 4% | $19,066 | 98% | $101,817 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Boston University would cost you $6,513 less per year than Northeastern University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Boston University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$1,940).
- Boston University gives aided families $8,157 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | BU | Northeastern University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $68,102 | $66,162 | +$1,940 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $18,110 | $18,790 | −$680 |
| Personal & travel | $2,085 | $1,800 | +$285 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,012 | −$3,111 | +$99 |
| Sticker price | $86,285 | $84,641 | +$1,644 |
| Average grants | −$61,883 | −$53,726 | −$8,157 |
| You pay | $24,402 | $30,915 | −$6,513 |
“+” means BU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about BU
What is the BU acceptance rate?
Boston University accepts 11% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,733 of 80,495 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1420–1530 on the SAT or 32–34 on the ACT.
How much does Boston University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $86,285 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,402 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,500 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,504.
How much do BU graduates earn?
Former Boston University students earn a median $83,238 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the BU graduation rate?
89% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 95% return for their second year.
How long does a BU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Boston University costs about $48,172 after grants ($11,778 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $83,238 ten years after starting, $43,358 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 1.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Boston University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/boston-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).