Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

At a glance

Average net price: $24,402What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 11%
Graduation rate: 89%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 18,248
In-state tuition: $68,102Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $68,102
SAT midpoint: 1,440
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $83,238Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$24,402

3/5

Better than 41% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

89%

5/5

Better than 95% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$83,238

5/5

Better than 92% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$23,250

4/5

Better than 61% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$86,285

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$24,402

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Boston University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	89%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	95%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$23,250
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$83,238

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Boston University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Computer Engineering	$93,995	99
Computer Science	$90,050	305
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	$80,528	43
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	$77,660	3
Mechanical Engineering	$76,337	124
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$71,545	672
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$69,209	132
Mathematics	$64,604	128
Economics	$55,733	307
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	$54,456	19
Design and Applied Arts	$49,254	39
Social Sciences, Other	$48,243	32
Communication and Media Studies	$47,349	60
International Relations and National Security Studies	$45,870	189
Political Science and Government	$45,021	162
Hospitality Administration/Management	$44,657	73
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	$42,894	155
Journalism	$42,857	91
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	$42,850	138
Philosophy	$40,377	62
Biology, General	$40,165	153
Psychology, General	$39,175	305
Chemistry	$39,157	36
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	$39,093	121
Sociology	$38,457	47
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	$37,225	195
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	$36,705	29
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	$35,873	92
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$35,281	19
Education, General	$27,891	1
Anthropology	$26,934	21
Music	$23,934	39
English Language and Literature, General	$23,579	56
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$21,508	51
Fine and Studio Arts	$17,374	42
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	Not reported	297
Mathematical Economics	Not reported	71
Physics	Not reported	39
History	Not reported	39
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	Not reported	39
Applied Mathematics	Not reported	32
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	Not reported	32
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other	Not reported	29
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	Not reported	23
Nutrition Sciences	Not reported	22
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	Not reported	18
Astronomy and Astrophysics	Not reported	17
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation	Not reported	16
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	Not reported	14
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	12
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	Not reported	12
Area Studies	Not reported	11
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	11
Classical and Ancient Studies	Not reported	10
Special Education and Teaching	Not reported	7
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education	Not reported	6
Archeology	Not reported	5
Computer and Information Sciences, General	Not reported	4
Religion/Religious Studies	Not reported	3
Engineering Physics	Not reported	3
Criminal Justice and Corrections	Not reported	2
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	Not reported	1
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	1
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	1
Physical Sciences, General	Not reported	1
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	Not reported	1
Research and Experimental Psychology	Not reported	Not reported
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	Not reported	Not reported
Geography and Cartography	Not reported	Not reported
Urban Studies/Affairs	Not reported	Not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Not reported	Not reported
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	Not reported	Not reported
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	Not reported
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Not reported	Not reported
Education, Other	Not reported	Not reported
Engineering, General	Not reported	Not reported
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	Not reported
Social Work	Not reported	Not reported
Visual and Performing Arts, General	Not reported	Not reported

All 79 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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