R1 ResearchPrivate nonprofitMedical

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·bu.edu
6-yr Graduation
89%
-3.5pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
37,737
peer median 22,846
Avg net price
$24,402
-$3.3k vs R1 Research
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
78,769
78,769 candidates competed
Admitted
8,749
11.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
3,268
37.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
89%-3.5pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
75%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
89%
Full-time retention
95%

Pell equity

0.4pp gap
Pell recipients
89%558 of 627
Non-Pell (all)
89%2633 of 2972
Subsidized loan, no Pell
90%536 of 597
No Federal Aid
88%2097 of 2375

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 309 Title IV programs, 89 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 219 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
309
Passing
89
28.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.3% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.3%
-0.3pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

309programs
  • Passing89 · 28.8%
  • No Data219 · 70.9%
  • Failing1 · 0.3%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
6
Safe
82
No data
219

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

90
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-10.5%
$43,249 vs $48,304
Communication and Media Studies
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+1.3%
$59,519 vs $58,761
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+13.0%
$39,322 vs $34,808
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+13.3%
$39,426 vs $34,808
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+18.8%
$71,420 vs $60,112
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+22.5%
$71,972 vs $58,761
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Master's Degree · Personal And Culinary Services
+23.4%
$51,558 vs $41,770
Music
Doctoral Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+24.5%
$60,156 vs $48,304

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Communication and Media Studies
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+1.3%
+$758

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

82
Medicine
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
216%
$221,236 debt · $102,530 earn
Dentistry
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
157%
$283,135 debt · $180,633 earn
International Relations and National Security Studies
Master's Degree · Social Sciences
128%
$104,170 debt · $81,518 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
126%
$75,000 debt · $59,519 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
106%
$73,592 debt · $69,238 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
103%
$72,847 debt · $70,842 earn
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences Other
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
102%
$140,337 debt · $138,128 earn
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
95%
$68,391 debt · $71,972 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1929Next review Jun 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 32

Action history · 60

  1. Dec 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
  2. Aug 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Fellowship
  3. Apr 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  4. Sep 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
  5. Jul 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,500
$30–48k$9,342
$48–75k$11,778
$75–110k$22,517
$110k+$47,504

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$24,402
-$3,256vs R1 Research median $27,659
Federal loans
22.9%
In-state tuition
$68,102
Out-of-state
$68,102

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 4,530 students received $30.2M in Pell grants, alongside $260.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,530
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$30.2M
$30,210,038 total
Direct Loans
$260.8M
12,188 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
’20
3k
’21
4k
’22
4k
’23
5k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$11.3M
2,581 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$9.0M
2,307 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$105.2M
4,549 loan awards
Parent PLUS$30.0M
791 loan awards
Grad PLUS$105.2M
1,960 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 5,329 borrowers who entered repayment, 31 (0.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
5,329
Defaulted
31
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.7%
2017
1.4%
2018
1.4%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Boston

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs299
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

11,022 total completions
01Business
2,61623.7%
02Health Professions
1,31011.9%
03Computer Sciences
1,27511.6%
04Biological Sciences
1,26911.5%
05Communication
1,0529.5%
06Social Sciences
1,0329.4%
07Engineering
8928.1%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
7046.4%
09Education
4364.0%
10Legal Professions
4364.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
37,737
12-mo unduplicated
43,786
Undergraduate
21,711
Graduate
22,075

Gender split

Men
42%18,223
Women
58%25,563

Race / ethnicity composition

White
32.2%
Non-resident
21.2%
Asian
20.5%
Hispanic
11.5%
Black
5.9%
Two or more
4.7%
Unknown
3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
592
250 M · 342 W
Women athletes
57.8%
Athletic aid
$20.3M
Total student aid
Budget
$44.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$7.7M
$12.6M
Recruiting expense
$254K
$220K
Head-coach salaries
$200K
$131K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
95 M · 135 W
$4.0M
Rowing
44 M · 85 W
$5.2M
Lacrosse
58 M · 30 W
$3.9M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
31 M · 29 W
$842K
Soccer
28 M · 32 W
$3.9M
Ice Hockey
27 M · 25 W
$7.9M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.48
91 offenses · 36,624 students

3-year trend

1.632 yrs ago2.531 yr ago2.48Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
243
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
33
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
11
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
31

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
30
Robbery
20
Burglary
17
Fondling
12
Rape
8
Motor vehicle theft
4

By location

91total
  • On campus50
  • Public property41

Includes 17 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
6
Dating violence
6
Stalking
14 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1
  • Religion1
  • Gender identity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons41
Drugs153
Liquor0332

Residence-hall fires

  • 60 Bay State Rd1 fire
    Open flamesDamage $100-$999
  • 176 - 178 Bay State Rd1 fire
    Heating equipmentDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • 908 Beacon St1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Student Village I2 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Student Village I2 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • 726 Commonwealth Ave2 fires
    Damage $100,000-$249,999
  • 726 Commonwealth Ave2 fires
    Cooking1 injured · 0 deathsDamage $100-$999
  • 509 Park Dr1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
10.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
3,299

Boston vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Boston selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectBoston University
89%—37,737$24,402R1 Research
Northeastern University
91%5.2%32,553$30,915R1 Research
Harvard University
98%3.6%30,259$19,066R1 Research
Boston College
91%16.4%15,432$41,704R1 Research
Tufts University
94%11.5%13,599$39,998R1 Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
96%4.5%11,886$20,111R1 Research
Peer group median93%5.2%22,846$27,659

Institutions like Boston

Explore the federal data for institutions in Boston's comparison group.

IPEDS

Boston Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Analytical Services & Institutional Research

AS&IR provides information, reporting, analytical, and consulting resources to enable access to and strategic use of Boston University’s data resources.

Visit IR office page
Team
11 members
  • Linette Decarie
    Assistant Vice President, Analytical Services & Institutional Research
  • Thomas Pouncy
    Director, Data Analytics
  • Saumil Dharia
    Sr. Data Analytics Developer
  • Adam Ostrowski
    Assistant Director, Analytical Services
  • Mike Polito
    Research Analyst, Student Success
  • Nouran Hashimi
    Data Governance Program Manager
  • Liz Campbell
    Director, Institutional Research
  • Angela Carlson-Bancroft
    Institutional Research Analyst
  • Diane Mendez
    Institutional Research Manager
  • Chen Shen
    Sr. Institutional Research Analyst
  • Binbin Zhu
    Institutional Research Analyst

Common Data Set

Boston's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
11.1%
Highly selective
Yield
37.3%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
37,737
18,805 UG · 18,932 grad
6-yr graduation rate
89%
First-year retention
95%
Student–faculty ratio
10 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$27,032
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
78,769
Admitted
8,749
Enrolled
3,268

78,769 applied → 8,749 admitted (11.1%) → 3,268 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
11.1%

Highly selective — 11.1% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
Men11.5%
Women11.1%
Another Gender8.0%
Unknown33.3%

Admit rates are similar across genders (Women 11.1%, Men 11.5%).

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1430
Median
1470
75th
1510

Middle 50% SAT 1430–1510 (median 1470).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
32
Median
33
75th
34

Middle 50% ACT 32–34 (median 33).

High-school class rank

C10
Top 10%92%
Top 25%100%
Top 50%100%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

Waitlist outcome

C2
Offered
15,339
Accepted spot
8,996
Admitted
18

15,339 offered a waitlist spot, 8,996 accepted it, 18 admitted (0.2% of those who stayed on).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important5
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPAApplication essayRecommendationsTalent/ability
Important7
Class rankStandardized test scoresExtracurricular activitiesCharacter/personal qualitiesFirst generationVolunteer workWork experience
Considered4
InterviewAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceLevel of applicant's interest
Not Considered2
State residencyReligious affiliation/commitment

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$91,207
Tuition
$66,67073%
Fees
$1,4322%
Room & board
$19,02021%
Books
$1,0001%
Other
$3,0853%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $91,207 (2024-2025).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$91,207
Net (aided)
$27,032
Avg need grant
$64,175

Sticker $91,207 → about $27,032 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($64,175); 97% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Institutional92.4%
Federal6.7%
State0.7%
Other external scholarships/Grants not administered by college0.2%

92% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
34%
Avg debt
$36,123

34% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $36,123 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
89%
Retention
95%

6-year graduation rate 89%; first-year retention 95%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students89%
Pell recipients89%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 0 pts above the overall rate (89% vs 89%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students542
10-19 students1,168
20-29 students351
30-39 students274
40-49 students162
50-99 students257
100+ students132

59% of classes have under 20 students; 13% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
10 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
82%
Women faculty
46%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Business/marketing16.2%
Social sciences (excl. history)13.9%
Communications/journalism13%
Biological/life sciences12.4%
Computer/information sciences8.1%
Engineering7.6%
Psychology7.4%
Health professions & related sciences4.9%

STEM-dominant: ~32% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic32.2%
Non-resident aliens21.2%
Asian, non-Hispanic20.6%
Hispanic/Latino11.4%
Black, non-Hispanic5.9%
Two or More Races, non-Hispanic4.7%
Race/ethnicity unknown3.8%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.1%
American Indian/Alaskan Native0.0%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Graduate
18,93250%
Undergraduate
18,80550%

18,805 undergraduates and 18,932 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
6,729
Admitted
2,328
Enrolled
915

6,729 transfer applicants → 2,328 admitted (34.6%) → 915 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Boston University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Boston.

What is the graduation rate at Boston University?

Boston University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 89% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Boston University?

Boston University reports a total enrollment of 37,737 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Boston University?

The average net price at Boston University is $24,402 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Boston University?

Boston University's yield rate is 37.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Boston University located?

Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts 02215.

Who runs Institutional Research at Boston University?

Boston University's IR work is done by the Analytical Services & Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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