Boston University

www.bu.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$58,560

3% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$25,852

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

0.582%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

18.6%

75,778 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

36,104

80.5% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

89.3%

3,220 Graduates

About

Boston University is a higher education institution located in Suffolk County, MA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Boston University were General Business Administration & Management (638 degrees awarded), General Communication (397 degrees), and General Economics (281 degrees).

In 2021, 11,580 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston University. 59.5% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 40.5% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (4,463 degrees), 3.27 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1,365 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $58,560, which is $29,568 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

About the photo: BU Central

Photo by Mark Zastrow

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $58,560, which is $29,568 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $25,852.

In 2021, 50% of undergraduate students attending Boston University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 26% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$58,560

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Boston University was $58,560. The cost of tuition at Boston University is $29,568 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Boston University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$25,852

2021 Value

11.3%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Boston University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $25,852. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Boston University grew by 11.3%.

This chart compares the average net price of Boston University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$16,640

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston University was of $16,640 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 2.97% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Boston University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

50%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

26%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

50% of undergraduate students at Boston University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 2.04% with respect to 2020, when 49% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Boston University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.582%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Boston University was 0.582%, which represents 31 out of the 5329 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Boston University received 75,778 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 24.2% annual growth. Out of those 75,778 applicants, 14,129 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 18.6% acceptance rate.

There were 36,104 students enrolled at Boston University in 2021. 32% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston University has an overall enrollment yield of 28.4%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

18.6%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

14,129

Accepted Out of 75,778

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston University was 18.6% (14,129 admissions from 75,778 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 20.1%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 24.2%, while admissions grew by 15.3%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Boston University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

32%

Submission Percentage (2021)

1,293

Scores Submitted (2021)

32% of enrolled first-time students at Boston University in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Boston University had a total enrollment of 36,104 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 29,047 students and the part-time enrollment is 7,057. This means that 80.5% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 36.8% White, 14.6% Asian, 9.01% Hispanic or Latino, 4.15% Black or African American, 3.46% Two or More Races, 0.0748% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0415% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Boston University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (20.6%), followed by White Male (13.3%) and Asian Female (10.8%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (21.8%), followed by White Male (13.6%) and Asian Female (5.65%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

80.5%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston University in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 36,104 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 29,047 and the part-time enrollment is 7,057. This means that 80.5% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Boston University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

94%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Boston University was 94%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Boston University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Boston University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
13,279 enrolled students
Asian
5,282 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
3,253 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Boston University is 36.8% White, 14.6% Asian, 9.01% Hispanic or Latino, 4.15% Black or African American, 3.46% Two or More Races, 0.0748% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0415% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,897 students (5.25%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 2,206 more women than men received degrees from Boston University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Boston University is white (4,463 degrees awarded). There were 3.27 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1365 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston University is General Business Administration & Management (638 degrees awarded), followed by General Communication (397 degrees) and General Economics (281 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Boston University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Communications (1,022 degrees awarded), Legal (408 degrees), and Biology (1,014 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Other managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston University are Other managers (419,009 people), Physicians (412,947 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (384,041 people), Postsecondary teachers (264,058 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (257,807 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University in 2021 are Communications (1,022 degrees awarded), Legal (408 degrees), Biology (1,014 degrees), Math & Statistics (289 degrees), and Social Sciences (1,064 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston University are Surgeons, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Physicians, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Chief executives & legislators

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Communications (1,022 degrees awarded), Legal (408 degrees), Biology (1,014 degrees), Math & Statistics (289 degrees), and Social Sciences (1,064 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston University are Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (616,930 people), Elementary & secondary schools (607,373 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (597,459 people), Computer Systems Design (333,913 people), and Legal services (324,939 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Boston University.

Most Common (2021)

General Business Administration & Management
332 degree-majors awarded
Social Work
315 degree-majors awarded
Information Science
286 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common masters degree concentration at Boston University was General Business Administration & Management with 332 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from masters degree programs at Boston University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

4,687

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

6,893

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 4,687 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University, which is 0.68 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (6,893).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Boston University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 514 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.13 times more than the 456 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 456 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.887 times less than the 514 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

84%

100% Completion Time

88%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 84% of students graduating from Boston University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 88% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 89% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Boston University is Female and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 3.94% of graduates (127 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
4,463 degrees awarded
Asian
1,365 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
952 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston University is white (4,463 degrees awarded). There were 3.27 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1365 degrees).

5.31% of degree recipients (615 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
2,805 degrees awarded
White Male
1,658 degrees awarded
Asian Female
840 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Boston University is white female (2,805 degrees awarded). There were 1.69 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1658 degrees).

Operations

Boston University has an endowment valued at nearly $3.39B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 1.08B (31.8%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, Boston University had a total salary expenditure of 2B. Boston University employs 486 Professors, 386 Lecturers and 347 Associate professors. Most academics at Boston University are Male Professor (359), Female Lecturer (212), and Male Associate professor (195).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University are: Management, with 995 employees, Service, with 793 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 775 employees.

Endowment

$3.39B

2021 Endowment

40.1%

growth from 2020

Boston University has an endowment valued at about $3.39B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston University grew 40.1% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $3B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Boston University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$392M - Federal
$3.47M - State
$152k - Local

As of 2021, Boston University received $392M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $3.47M from state grants and contracts, and $152k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$889M

2021 Salaries

1.23%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Boston University paid a median of $889M in salaries, which represents 44.4% of their overall expenditure ($2B) and a 1.23% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$264M

Instructional Salaries

1,825

Number of Employees

In 2021, Boston University paid a total of $264M to 1,825 employees working as instructors, which represents 29.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

486 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

995 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston University were Professor with 486 employees, Lecturer with 386 employees, and Associate professor with 347 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University were Management with 995 employees, Service with 793 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 775 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Professor
Female Lecturer
Male Associate professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston University was Male Professor with 359 employees, Female Lecturer with 212 employees, and Male Associate professor with 195 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Boston University.