Boston University

www.bu.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$56,854

3.9% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$29,154

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

1.48%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

20.1%

61,007 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

32,718

80.3% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

89%

3,472 Graduates

About

Boston University is a higher education institution located in Suffolk County, MA. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Boston University were General Business Administration & Management (691 degrees awarded), General Communication (428 degrees), and General Economics (300 degrees).

In 2020, 12,396 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston University. 60.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 39.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (4,700 degrees), 3.54 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1328 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $56,854, which is $28,291 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

About the photo: BU Central

Photo by Mark Zastrow

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $56,854, which is $28,291 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $29,154.

In 2020, 49% of undergraduate students attending Boston University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 29% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$56,854

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at Boston University was $56,854. The cost of tuition at Boston University is $28,291 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

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

Average Net Price

$29,154

2020 Value

1.1%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 Boston University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $29,154. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of Boston University grew by 1.1%.

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

$16,160

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston University was of $16,160 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 2.8% between 2019 and 2020. 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

49%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

29%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

49% of undergraduate students at Boston University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2019, 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.

1.48%

2018 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at Boston University was 1.48%, which represents 77 out of the 5211 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 61,007 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 1.96% annual decline. Out of those 61,007 applicants, 12,254 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 20.1% acceptance rate.

There were 32,718 students enrolled at Boston University in 2020, and 70% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston University has an overall enrollment yield of 23.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

20.1%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

12,254

Accepted Out of 61,007

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston University was 20.1% (12,254 admissions from 61,007 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 18.9%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −1.96%, while admissions grew by 3.97%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Boston University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

70%

Submission Percentage

2,045

Scores Submitted

70% of enrolled first-time students at Boston University in 2020 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 has a total enrollment of 32,718 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 26,272 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,446. This means that 80.3% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 38.2% White, 14.4% Asian, 9.49% Hispanic or Latino, 4.21% Black or African American, 3.39% Two or More Races, 0.0581% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0367% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Boston University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (21.2%), followed by White Male (13.5%) and Asian Female (10.9%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (23.3%), followed by White Male (15.4%) and Asian Female (5.95%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

80.3%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 32,718 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 26,272 and the part-time enrollment is 6,446. This means that 80.3% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% 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

92%

2020 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 92%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), 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

White
12,490
Asian
4,710
Hispanic or Latino
3,106

The enrolled student population at Boston University is 38.2% White, 14.4% Asian, 9.49% Hispanic or Latino, 4.21% Black or African American, 3.39% Two or More Races, 0.0581% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0367% 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 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% 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, 1,852 students (5.66%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 2542 more women than men received degrees from Boston University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Boston University is white (4,700 degrees awarded). There were 3.54 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1328 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston University is General Business Administration & Management (691 degrees awarded), followed by General Communication (428 degrees) and General Economics (300 degrees).

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 (992 degrees awarded), Legal (479 degrees), and Math & Statistics (324 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Physicians

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 Physicians (404,268 people), Other managers (396,158 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (368,664 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (264,636 people), and Postsecondary teachers (256,263 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Communications (992 degrees awarded), Legal (479 degrees), Math & Statistics (324 degrees), Biology (1,052 degrees), and Social Sciences (1,092 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

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 Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, and Chief executives & legislators

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 (591,174 people), Elementary & secondary schools (584,042 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (579,444 people), Legal services (311,036 people), and Computer Systems Design (305,676 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

General Business Administration & Management
691 degree-majorss awarded
General Communication
428 degree-majorss awarded
General Economics
300 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston University was General Business Administration & Management with 691 degrees awarded.

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

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

4,927

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

7,469

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 4,927 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University, which is 0.66 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (7,469).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 600 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.24 times more than the 485 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 485 degrees were awarded to women at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.808 times less than the 600 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

84%

100% Completion Time

88%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 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 88% 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 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 (72.4%).

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, 2.85% of graduates (99 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
4,700 degrees awarded
Asian
1,328 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
974 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston University is white (4,700 degrees awarded). There were 3.54 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1328 degrees).

5.73% of degree recipients (710 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
2,957 degrees awarded
White Male
1,743 degrees awarded
Asian Female
799 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Boston University is white female (2,957 degrees awarded). There were 1.7 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,743 degrees).

Operations

Boston University has an endowment valued at nearly $2.42B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $66.1M (2.73%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, Boston University had a total salary expenditure of $2.08B. Boston University employs 492 Professors, 387 Lecturers, and 365 Associate professors. Most academics at Boston University are Male Professors (366), Female Lecturers(213), and Male Associate professors (203).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University are: Management, with 955 employees, Service, with 836 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 789 employees.

Endowment

$2.42B

2020 Endowment

4.75%

growth from 2019

Boston University has an endowment valued at about $2.42B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston University grew 4.75% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.11B 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

$321M - Federal
$3.89M - State
$88k - Local

As of 2020, Boston University received $321M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $3.89M from state grants and contracts, and $88k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$900M

2020 Salaries

3.87%

growth from 2019

In 2020, Boston University paid a median of $900M in salaries, which represents 43.3% of their overall expenditure ($2.08B) and a 3.87% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 2.84% growth from 2018 and a 5.71% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$258M

Instructional Salaries

1,860

Number of Employees

In 2020, Boston University paid a total of $258M to 1,860 employees working as instructors, which represents 28.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

492 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

955 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston University were Professor with 492 employees; Lecturer with 387 employees; and Lecturer with 365 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University were Management with 955 employees; Service with 836 employees; and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 789 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Lecturer
Male Associate professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston University was Male Professor with 366 employees, Female Lecturer with 213 employees, and Male Associate professor with 203 employees.

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