Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
11.1%
Acceptance rate
1,473
SAT Average
$26,996
Avg net price
17,850
Enrollment
| All fields, 2024-25Bachelor’s 5,291Master’s 6,462Doctoral 1,209 |
| Bachelor’s 862Master’s 1,727Doctoral 5 |
| Bachelor’s 743Master’s 279Doctoral 2 |
| Bachelor’s 713Master’s 220Doctoral 41 |
| Bachelor’s 614Master’s 558Doctoral 75 |
| Bachelor’s 520Master’s 728Doctoral 22 |
| Bachelor’s 488Master’s 304Doctoral 87 |
| Bachelor’s 269Master’s 65Doctoral 18 |
| Bachelor’s 267Master’s 486Doctoral 532 |
| Bachelor’s 189Master’s 160Doctoral 40 |
| Bachelor’s 139Master’s 557Doctoral 2 |
| Bachelor’s 98Master’s 155Doctoral 16 |
| Bachelor’s 77Master’s 323Doctoral 35 |
| Bachelor’s 55Master’s 35Doctoral 51 |
| Bachelor’s 53Master’s 7Doctoral 8 |
| Bachelor’s 45Master’s 30Doctoral 6 |
| Bachelor’s 44Master’s 11Doctoral 9 |
| Bachelor’s 41Master’s 4Doctoral 4 |
| Bachelor’s 32Master’s 8Doctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 30Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 11Master’s 4Doctoral 4 |
| Bachelor’s 1Master’s 109Doctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 0Master’s 348Doctoral 8 |
| Bachelor’s 0Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 221Doctoral 215 |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 61Doctoral 29 |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 36Doctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 26Doctoral None reported |
NCAA program details
- Primary division
- Division I
- Primary conference
- Patriot League
Projected sponsored sports22
Athletic participation
592 unique student-athletes · 19 varsity teams
Early Decision
Early Decision is a binding agreement available only to high school seniors for September admission.
Binding · Decision released by Dec 15 · CSS Profile, FAFSA due Nov 2
Early Decision 2
Binding · Decision released by Feb 9 · CSS Profile, FAFSA due Jan 5
First-Year Regular Admission
Decision released by Mar 28 · CSS Profile, FAFSA due Jan 5
· Apply with Common App or QuestBridge Application
Published on-campus price, 2024–25
- Tuition
- $66,670
- Required fees
- $1,432
- Food and housing
- $19,020
- Books and supplies
- $1,000
- Other expenses
- $2,085
- Total
- $90,207
- $75,0022019–2019–20
- $77,6622020–2120–21
- $79,6062021–2221–22
- $82,7602022–2322–23
- $86,3632023–2423–24
- $90,2072024–2524–25
Net price by family income, 2022–23
Students of all incomes paid $26,996 on average. Grants and scholarships covered the rest of the cost.
Net price covers first-time, full-time students who received federal aid.
Need-based aid, 2025–26
- First-years with need-based aid
- 39%
- Average share of need met
- 98%
- Average need-based grant
- $66,926
- Required forms
- FAFSA, CSS Profile, and CSS Noncustodial Profile
Sources
- IPEDS Institutional Characteristics · National Center for Education Statistics · 2025–26
- IPEDS Admissions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
- College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03
- Application process · College websites · 2026–27
- NCAA Projected Sports Sponsorship by School · National Collegiate Athletic Association · 2025–26
- Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act · U.S. Department of Education · 2024–25
- Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
- IPEDS Completions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
- IPEDS Student Charges · National Center for Education Statistics · 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Every figure below is read directly from Boston University’s own reported data, with no scores, ratings, or estimates added. Derived from 5 Common Data Set filings (2021–22 to 2025–26).
Boston University admitted of applicants, a admit rate. Of those, enrolled, a yield, across 5 years of Common Data Set filings.
Boston University runs two binding Early Decision rounds. ED applicants were admitted at versus for the regular pool, a edge, and ED admits fill of the class.
The enrolled class is roughly international, and about of its domestic students come from out of state. Boston University admits in-state applicants at 13.3%, out-of-state applicants at 11.6%, and international applicants at 16%.
Enrolled first-years by geography
3,449 first-years
Admit odds by pool
Test scores are considered but not required. SAT or ACT scores must arrive by Jan 5. Of enrolled first-years, submitted an SAT and an ACT.
Some students submit both an SAT and an ACT, so the two shares overlap. They don’t add up to a single “submitted a test” rate.
SAT composite
36% of the class submitted an SAT
Middle 50%
Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands
ACT composite
10% of the class submitted an ACT
Middle 50%
Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands
Boston University’s enrolled first-years averaged a high-school GPA, among the 100% who submitted one. ranked in the top tenth of their high-school class, among the 14% who submitted class rank.
High-school GPA
shares of all enrolled first-years
Average 3.86
High-school class rank
Among the 14% of first-years who submitted class rank. Shares are cumulative — students in the top tenth also count in the top quarter and top half.
Boston University rates 2 factors "very important." Each column reads strongest first.
Academic
- Rigor of secondary school record
- Very important
- Academic GPA
- Very important
- Class rank
- Important
- Application essay
- Important
- Recommendation(s)
- Important
- Standardized test scores
- Not considered
Nonacademic
- Extracurricular activities
- Important
- Character / personal qualities
- Important
- First generation
- Considered
- Geographical residence
- Considered
- State residency
- Considered
- Volunteer work
- Considered
- Work experience
- Considered
- Level of applicant's interest
- Considered
- Interview
- Not considered
- Talent / ability
- Not considered
- Alumni/ae relation
- Not considered
- Religious affiliation/commitment
- Not considered
Boston University leaves 1 Common Data Set answer blank — each one hidden below with what it would tell you.
Without the GPA spread, a family can’t see where their transcript lands within the class.
Does disclose: SAT / ACT score bands (C9) · Admissions factor grid (C7) · Early Decision applicants & admits (C21) · Students admitted off the waitlist (C2)
Boston University’s sticker drops once grant aid is applied, and what a family actually pays depends on income. of first-years received need-based aid; a family with no aid pays the full sticker. The school meets of demonstrated need, split into .
What aid recipients pay, by income
net price
Bars read against the $92,342 sticker. Each figure averages only families who received federal aid in that income band (College Scorecard); $26,996 across all aid recipients. Aid share: 1,344 of 3,446 first-years in the 2025–26 Common Data Set.
How need-based aid is determined
Cost of attendance − expected family contribution = demonstrated need
Forms a family files to be considered
What that meant in 2025–26
Cost of attendance $92,342
Averages among the 1,344 first-years awarded need-based aid.
Merit aid reached of the class, or of enrolled first-years. For international applicants, Boston University offers merit aid only: nonresidents received aid, averaging .
Boston University admitted students off the waitlist, about of the class.
94.5% of Boston University’s first-years return for a second year and 90% graduate within six. Median earnings ten years out are against of median federal debt, roughly a earnings-to-debt ratio.
Sources
- Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
- College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03