Boston University

www.bu.edu

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2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$54,720

3.6% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$29,479

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

1.45%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

18.9%

62,224 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

33,720

81.7% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

88.2%

3,413 Graduates

About

Boston University is a higher education institution located in Suffolk County, MA. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Boston University were General Business Administration & Management (778 degrees awarded), General Communication (432 degrees), and General Economics (289 degrees).

In 2019, 11,988 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 (4,771 degrees), 3.7 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1289 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $54,720, which is $26,220 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

About the photo: BU Central

Photo by Mark Zastrow

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $54,720, which is $26,220 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $29,479.

In 2019, 49% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 31% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$54,720

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at Boston University was $54,720. The cost of tuition at Boston University is $26,220 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

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

Average Net Price

$29,479

2019 Value

1.11%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 Boston University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $29,479. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of Boston University grew by 1.11%.

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

$15,720

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston University was of $15,720 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 2.95% between 2018 and 2019. 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

Financial Aid by Income Level

49%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

31%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

49% of undergraduate students at Boston University received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a growth of 2.08% with respect to 2018, when 48% 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.

1.45%

2017 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at Boston University was 1.45%, which represents 78 out of the 5390 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 62,224 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 3.5% annual decline. Out of those 62,224 applicants, 11,786 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 18.9% acceptance rate.

There were 33,720 students enrolled at Boston University in 2019, and 73% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston University has an overall enrollment yield of 26.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

18.9%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

11,786

Accepted Out of 62,224

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston University was 18.9% (11,786 admissions from 62,224 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 22.1%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants declined by −3.5%, while admissions declined by −17.3%.

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

SAT Scores

73%

Submission Percentage

2,313

Scores Submitted

73% of enrolled first-time students at Boston University in 2019 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 33,720 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 27,554 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,166. This means that 81.7% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 38% White, 13.1% Asian, 8.99% Hispanic or Latino, 3.95% Black or African American, 3.2% Two or More Races, 0.0652% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0652% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Boston University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (22.2%), followed by White Male (13.8%) and Asian Female (9.87%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (21.6%), followed by White Male (14.8%) and Asian Female (5.4%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

81.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 33,720 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 27,554 and the part-time enrollment is 6,166. This means that 81.7% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time compared with 77.6% 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%

2019 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 (83%), 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
12,812
Asian
4,412
Hispanic or Latino
3,031

The enrolled student population at Boston University is 38% White, 13.1% Asian, 8.99% Hispanic or Latino, 3.95% Black or African American, 3.2% Two or More Races, 0.0652% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0652% 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 50.3% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.48% 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, 2,202 students (6.53%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 2468 more women than men received degrees from Boston University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Boston University is white (4,771 degrees awarded). There were 3.7 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1289 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston University is General Business Administration & Management (778 degrees awarded), followed by General Communication (432 degrees) and General Economics (289 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 Legal (545 degrees awarded), Communications (1,011 degrees), and Biology (992 degrees).

Workforce

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 (422,333 people), Physicians (415,081 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (372,905 people), Postsecondary teachers (253,598 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (212,000 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Legal (545 degrees awarded), Communications (1,011 degrees), Biology (992 degrees), Math & Statistics (280 degrees), and Social Sciences (1,089 degrees).

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, Other financial specialists, Physicians, Architectural & engineering managers, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

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 (615,642 people), Elementary & secondary schools (594,152 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (562,008 people), Computer Systems Design (343,005 people), and Legal services (312,778 people).

Degrees

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
778 degree-majorss awarded
General Communication
432 degree-majorss awarded
General Economics
289 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston University was General Business Administration & Management with 778 degrees awarded.

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

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

4,760

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

7,228

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 4,760 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University, which is 0.659 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (7,228).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 634 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.16 times more than the 546 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 546 degrees were awarded to women at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.861 times less than the 634 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

81%

100% Completion Time

87%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 81% of students graduating from Boston University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 87% 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.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Boston University is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

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, 4.63% of graduates (158 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
4,771 degrees awarded
Asian
1,289 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
1,002 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston University is white (4,771 degrees awarded). There were 3.7 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1289 degrees).

6.47% of degree recipients (776 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Female
2,924 degrees awarded
White Male
1,847 degrees awarded
Asian Female
831 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Boston University is white female (2,924 degrees awarded). There were 1.58 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,847 degrees).

Operations

Boston University has an endowment valued at nearly $2.31B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $139M (6.02%), compared to the 4.24% average return ($13.2M on $311M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2019, Boston University had a total salary expenditure of $2.04B. Boston University employs 502 Professors, 392 Lecturers, and 368 Associate professors. Most academics at Boston University are Male Professors (379), Female Lecturers(215), and Male Associate professors (203).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University are: Management, with 935 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 829 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 786 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$2.31B

2019 Endowment

6.06%

growth from 2018

Boston University has an endowment valued at about $2.31B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston University grew 6.06% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2B 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

$291M - Federal
$3.77M - State
$135k - Local

As of 2019, Boston University received $291M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $3.77M from state grants and contracts, and $135k from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$867M

2019 Salaries

2.84%

growth from 2018

In 2019, Boston University paid a median of $867M in salaries, which represents 42.5% of their overall expenditure ($2.04B) and a 2.84% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.71% growth from 2017 and a 4.21% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.4% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$262M

Instructional Salaries

1,892

Number of Employees

In 2019, Boston University paid a total of $262M to 1,892 employees working as instructors, which represents 30.2% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71.1M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

502 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

935 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston University were Professor with 502 employees; Lecturer with 392 employees; and Lecturer with 368 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University were Management with 935 employees; Business and Financial Operations with 829 employees; and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 786 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Lecturer
Male Associate professor

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston University was Male Professor with 379 employees, Female Lecturer with 215 employees, and Male Associate professor with 203 employees.

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

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