# Boston University (BU)

Private nonprofit college in Boston, MA. IPEDS ID 164988.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/boston-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/boston-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 11% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $24,402 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 89%; beats 80% of MA colleges and 95% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $83,238; beats 79% of MA colleges and 94% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $21,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,500 |
| 30-48k | $9,342 |
| 48-75k | $11,778 |
| 75-110k | $22,517 |
| 110k+ | $47,504 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.09 years on average (83% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $83,238 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $86,285
- Tuition and fees: $68,102
- Housing and meals: $18,110; books: $1,000

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 690–750; SAT math: 730–780; ACT: 32–34 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 80,495 applicants, 8,733 admitted, 3,145 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 11%, ACT 32–34 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 11%, ACT 32–34 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, gpa; important: class rank, essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, character; considered: test scores, first generation, geography, state residency, volunteer, work experience, interest
- Early decision: yes (2165 of 6907 admitted); early action: no; waitlist: yes (? admitted of 10393 who accepted a spot)
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.86
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 98% of need met; 710 of 1344 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 116 students, average $42,227
- Source: https://www.bu.edu/asir/files/2026/07/CDS-2025-2026-updated.pdf

## Majors (79 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $90,050 | $136,667 | $23,250 |
| Computer Engineering | $93,995 | $135,394 | $26,866 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $54,456 | $110,622 | $22,625 |
| Business Administration | $71,545 | $108,412 | $25,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $69,209 | $99,024 | $26,848 |
| Electrical Engineering | $80,528 | $98,953 | $26,646 |
| Economics | $55,733 | $96,723 | $24,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $76,337 | $95,757 | $26,400 |
| Mathematics | $64,604 | $84,784 | $19,750 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | not reported | $83,413 | $26,773 |
| Hospitality Management | $44,657 | $82,302 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $47,349 | $80,306 | $25,108 |
| Health Sciences | $42,894 | $78,431 | $26,000 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $49,254 | $72,809 | $21,250 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $36,705 | $72,566 | $27,000 |
| Neuroscience | $39,093 | $68,888 | $26,000 |
| Philosophy | $40,377 | $68,026 | $25,750 |
| International Relations | $45,870 | $66,661 | $25,000 |
| Political Science | $45,021 | $66,373 | $25,000 |
| Journalism | $42,857 | $65,617 | $24,813 |
| Biochemistry | $42,850 | $64,112 | $26,000 |
| Psychology | $39,175 | $63,838 | $26,000 |
| Sociology | $38,457 | $63,791 | $26,750 |
| Social Work | not reported | $63,594 | not reported |
| Physiology | $35,873 | $62,342 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $40,165 | $61,610 | $27,000 |
| History | not reported | $59,986 | $26,500 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | $59,858 | $25,125 |
| English | $23,579 | $58,564 | $26,395 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | $57,967 | $25,000 |
| Special Education | not reported | $57,294 | $27,000 |
| Education | $27,891 | $56,556 | $27,000 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | $37,225 | $55,804 | $23,750 |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | $55,066 | not reported |
| Education, Other | not reported | $54,883 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $35,281 | $54,766 | $27,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | $54,044 | not reported |
| Anthropology | $26,934 | $53,722 | $25,250 |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | not reported | $51,086 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $17,374 | $49,538 | $27,000 |
| Music | $23,934 | $39,426 | $26,957 |
| Theatre | $21,508 | $39,322 | $26,958 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nutrition Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematical Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | $39,157 | not reported | $27,000 |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Archeology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Urban Studies / Affairs | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences, Other | $48,243 | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $77,660 | not reported | $6,250 |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $135,640 (Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH), $134,720 (MA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage $81,440 (Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH), $79,660 (MA), $74,750 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).