Boston University

Doctoral Universities

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2016 Undergraduate Tuition

$49,176

3.7% growth from 2015

2016 Average Net Price

$31,539

After Financial Aid

2015 Student Loan

1.25%

Default Rate

2016 Acceptance Rate

29.4%

57,441 Applicants

2016 Enrolled Students

32,695

80.6% Full-Time

2016 Graduation Rate

86.5%

3,799 Graduates

About

Costs

Admissions

Enrollment

Graduates

Operations

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 (795 degrees awarded), General Communication (347 degrees), and General Psychology (272 degrees).

In 2016, 10,671 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston University. 58.5% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 41.5% awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were white (4,806 degrees), 4.37 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1100 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $49,176, which is $23,320 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($25,856).

About the photo: BU Central

Photo by Mark Zastrow

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research ActivityDoctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $49,176, which is $23,320 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($25,856).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $31,539.

In 2016, 46% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 37% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$49,176

2016 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2016, the cost of tuition at Boston University was $49,176. The cost of tuition at Boston University is $23,320 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($25,856).

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

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Average Net Price

$31,539

2016 Value

3.64%

1 Year Growth

In 2016 Boston University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $31,539. Between 2015 and 2016, the average net price of Boston University grew by 3.64%.

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.

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Other Student Expenses

$14,520

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston University was of $14,520 in 2016. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 3.49% between 2015 and 2016. 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.

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Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

46%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

37%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

46% of undergraduate students at Boston University received grants or loans in 2016. This represents a decline of 6.12% with respect to 2015, 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.

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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.

1.25%

2015 Default Rate

69

Number of Defaults

In 2015 the default rate for borrower's at Boston University was 1.25%, which represents 69 out of the 5541 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.

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Admissions

Boston University received 57,441 undergraduate applications in 2016, which represents a 4.86% annual growth. Out of those 57,441 applicants, 16,907 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 29.4% acceptance rate.

There were 32,695 students enrolled at Boston University in 2016, and 71% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston University has an overall enrollment yield of 21%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

29.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2016

16,907

Accepted Out of 57,441

In 2016, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston University was 29.4% (16,907 admissions from 57,441 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2015, which was 32.6%. Between 2015 and 2016, the number of applicants grew by 4.86%, while admissions declined by -5.39%.

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

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SAT Scores

71%

Submission Percentage

2,514

Scores Submitted

71% of enrolled first-time students at Boston University in 2016 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.

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Enrollment

Boston University has a total enrollment of 32,695 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 26,340 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,355. This means that 80.6% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 42.1% White, 11.3% Asian, 8.6% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% Black or African American, 2.75% Two or More Races, 0.113% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0979% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Boston University in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Female (25.5%), followed by White Male (15%) and Asian Female (8.55%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority White Female (22.8%), followed by White Male (16.6%) and Asian Female (5.13%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

80.6%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 32,695 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 26,340 and the part-time enrollment is 6,355. This means that 80.6% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time compared with 78.1% at similar Doctoral Universities.

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

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Retention Rate over Time

93%

2016 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 93%. 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.

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Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    13,757

  2. Asian

    3,683

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    2,812

The enrolled student population at Boston University is 42.1% White, 11.3% Asian, 8.6% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% Black or African American, 2.75% Two or More Races, 0.113% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0979% 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 51.9% White, 12.8% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.36% 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, 2,696 students (8.25%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2016, 1805 more women than men received degrees from Boston University. The majority of degree recipients at Boston University are white (4,806 degrees awarded). There were 4.37 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1100 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston University is General Business Administration & Management (795 degrees awarded), followed by General Communication (347 degrees) and General Psychology (272 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 (478 degrees awarded), Communications (778 degrees), and Biology (899 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Miscellaneous 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 Miscellaneous managers (460,604 people), Physicians & surgeons (415,977 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (350,889 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (304,135 people), and Postsecondary teachers (265,374 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Legal (478 degrees awarded), Communications (778 degrees), Biology (899 degrees), Math & Statistics (232 degrees), and Social Sciences (957 degrees).

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Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Physicians & 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 Physicians & surgeons, Sales engineers, Sales representatives, wholesale & manufacturing, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Chief executives & legislators

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Legal (478 degrees awarded), Communications (778 degrees), Biology (899 degrees), Math & Statistics (232 degrees), and Social Sciences (957 degrees).

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Common Industries by Major

Hospitals

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 Hospitals (603,884 people), Elementary & secondary schools (578,143 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (565,802 people), Legal services (302,452 people), and Computer Systems Design (263,250 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Legal (478 degrees awarded), Communications (778 degrees), Biology (899 degrees), Math & Statistics (232 degrees), and Social Sciences (957 degrees).

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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

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    795 degrees awarded

  2. General Communication

    347 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    272 degrees awarded

In 2016, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston University was General Business Administration & Management with 795 degrees awarded.

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

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Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

Degrees Awarded to Men

  1. 4,433

  2. 6,238

In 2016, 4,433 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University, which is 0.711 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (6,238).

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

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Most Common Male Majors

In 2016, 639 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.14 times more than the 560 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2016, 560 degrees were awarded to women at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.876 times less than the 639 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

80%

100% Completion Time

85%

150% Completion Time

In 2016, 80% of students graduating from Boston University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 85% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 85% 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.

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Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Two or More Races Female

Highest Graduation Rate (89.7%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Boston University is Female and Two or More Races (89.7% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (67.2%).

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, 7.03% of graduates (267 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    4,806 degrees awarded

  2. Asian

    1,100 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    979 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston University is white (4,806 degrees awarded). There were 4.37 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1100 degrees).

9.17% of degree recipients (979 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

  1. White Female

    2,958 degrees awarded

  2. White Male

    1,848 degrees awarded

  3. Asian Female

    603 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Boston University is white female (2,958 degrees awarded). There were 1.6 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,848 degrees).

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Operations

Boston University has an endowment valued at nearly $1.64B, as of the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $32.2M (1.96%), compared to the 1.54% average return ($4.18M on $271M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2015, Boston University had a total expenditure of $1.67B. Of that $1.67B, they spent $738M on salaries and $1.67B on benefits.

Boston University employs 515 Professors, 361 Lecturers, and 346 Associate professors. Most academics at Boston University are Male Professors (398), Female Lecturers(206), and Male Associate professors (195).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 1189 employees, Service, with 708 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 644 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$1.64B

2015 Endowment

1.74%

growth from 2014

Boston University has an endowment valued at about $1.64B, as of the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston University grew 1.74% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $1.37B 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.

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Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

  1. $232M - Federal

  2. $2.21M - State

  3. $275k - Local

As of 2015, Boston University received $232M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $2.21M from state grants and contracts, and $275k from local grants and contracts.

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Expenses

Primary Expenses

Expenditure values can vary depending on whether the institution is public or private, and are not available for private-for-profit schools.

$738M

Salary Expenditure

$1.67B

Benefits Expenditure

In 2015, Boston University had a total expenditure of $1.67B. Of that $1.67B, they spent $738M on salaries and $1.67B on benefits.

The bar chart shows the share of the primary expenses at Boston University over time, and the line chart shows the expenditure for solely salaries and benefits over time compared to the median for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification grouping.

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Expenditure by Category

This tree map shows all of the primary expenses of Research at Boston University as a share of total expenditure.

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Salary Expenditure

$738M

2015 Salaries

2.19%

growth from 2014

In 2015, Boston University paid a median of $738M in salaries, which represents 44.2% of their overall expenditure ($1.67B) and a 2.19% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 1.73% growth from 2013 and a 3.9% growth from 2012.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 206M (43.4% of overall expenditures).

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Instructional Salaries

$214M

Instructional Salaries

1,747

Number of Employees

In 2015, Boston University paid a total of $214M to 1,747 employees working as instructors, which represents 29% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $62.1M (30.2%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

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Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

515 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

1189 Employees

In 2016, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston University were Professor with 515 employees; Lecturer with 361 employees; and Lecturer with 346 employees.

In 2016, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University were Business and Financial Operations with 1,189 employees; Service with 708 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 644 employees.

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Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

  1. Male Professor

  2. Female Lecturer

  3. Male Associate professor

In 2016, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston University was Male Professor with 398 employees, Female Lecturer with 206 employees, and Male Associate professor with 195 employees.

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

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