Boston University

Doctoral Universities

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2017 Undergraduate Tuition

$50,980

3.67% growth from 2016

2017 Average Net Price

$33,728

After Financial Aid

2016 Student Loan

1.73%

Default Rate

2017 Acceptance Rate

25.1%

60,825 Applicants

2017 Enrolled Students

33,355

80.9% 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 (891 degrees awarded), General Communication (337 degrees), and General Economics (249 degrees).

In 2017, 10,645 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston University. 59% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 41% awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were white (4,704 degrees), 4.27 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1101 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $50,980, which is $24,480 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($26,500).

About the photo: BU Central

Photo by Mark Zastrow

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research ActivityDoctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston University is $50,980, which is $24,480 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($26,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $33,728.

In 2017, 45% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 35% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$50,980

2017 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2017, the cost of tuition at Boston University was $50,980. The cost of tuition at Boston University is $24,480 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($26,500).

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

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Average Net Price

$33,728

2017 Value

6.94%

1 Year Growth

In 2017 Boston University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $33,728. Between 2016 and 2017, the average net price of Boston University grew by 6.94%.

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

$14,870

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston University was of $14,870 in 2017. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 2.41% between 2016 and 2017. 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

45%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

35%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

45% of undergraduate students at Boston University received grants or loans in 2017. This represents a decline of 2.17% with respect to 2016, when 46% 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.

1.73%

2016 Default Rate

97

Number of Defaults

In 2016 the default rate for borrower's at Boston University was 1.73%, which represents 97 out of the 5617 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 60,825 undergraduate applications in 2017, which represents a 5.89% annual growth. Out of those 60,825 applicants, 15,273 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 25.1% acceptance rate.

There were 33,355 students enrolled at Boston University in 2017, and 63% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston University has an overall enrollment yield of 22.9%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

25.1%

Acceptance Rate in 2017

15,273

Accepted Out of 60,825

In 2017, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston University was 25.1% (15,273 admissions from 60,825 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2016, which was 29.4%. Between 2016 and 2017, the number of applicants grew by 5.89%, while admissions declined by -9.66%.

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

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SAT Scores

63%

Submission Percentage

2,198

Scores Submitted

63% of enrolled first-time students at Boston University in 2017 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 33,355 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 26,986 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,369. This means that 80.9% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 40.4% White, 11.6% Asian, 8.88% Hispanic or Latino, 4.09% Black or African American, 2.86% Two or More Races, 0.102% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0869% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Boston University in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Female (24.6%), followed by White Male (14.7%) and Asian Female (8.8%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority White Female (22.2%), followed by White Male (15.5%) and Asian Female (5.32%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

80.9%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 33,355 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston University is 26,986 and the part-time enrollment is 6,369. This means that 80.9% of students enrolled at Boston University are enrolled full-time compared with 78% 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%

2017 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

    13,478

  2. Asian

    3,876

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    2,963

The enrolled student population at Boston University is 40.4% White, 11.6% Asian, 8.88% Hispanic or Latino, 4.09% Black or African American, 2.86% Two or More Races, 0.102% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0869% 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 51.5% White, 13.4% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.57% 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, 2,745 students (8.23%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2017, 1921 more women than men received degrees from Boston University. The majority of degree recipients at Boston University are white (4,704 degrees awarded). There were 4.27 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1101 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston University is General Business Administration & Management (891 degrees awarded), followed by General Communication (337 degrees) and General Economics (249 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 (893 degrees awarded), Legal (452 degrees), and Biology (934 degrees).

Workforce

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 (414,046 people), Other managers (391,318 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (366,266 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (316,322 people), and Postsecondary teachers (253,425 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Communications (893 degrees awarded), Legal (452 degrees), Biology (934 degrees), Math & Statistics (223 degrees), and Social Sciences (944 degrees).

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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, Chemists & materials scientists, Dentists, and Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Communications (893 degrees awarded), Legal (452 degrees), Biology (934 degrees), Math & Statistics (223 degrees), and Social Sciences (944 degrees).

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Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) 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 General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (596,542 people), Elementary & secondary schools (596,445 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (594,437 people), Legal services (314,678 people), and Computer Systems Design (290,845 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston University are Communications (893 degrees awarded), Legal (452 degrees), Biology (934 degrees), Math & Statistics (223 degrees), and Social Sciences (944 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

    891 degrees awarded

  2. General Communication

    337 degrees awarded

  3. General Economics

    249 degrees awarded

In 2017, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston University was General Business Administration & Management with 891 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. 4,362

  2. 6,283

In 2017, 4,362 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University, which is 0.694 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (6,283).

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 2017, 708 degrees were awarded to men at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.17 times more than the 606 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2017, 606 degrees were awarded to women at Boston University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.856 times less than the 708 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

80%

100% Completion Time

85%

150% Completion Time

In 2017, 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 86% 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

    4,704 degrees awarded

  2. Asian

    1,101 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    810 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston University is white (4,704 degrees awarded). There were 4.27 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (1101 degrees).

7.32% of degree recipients (779 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

  1. White Female

    2,804 degrees awarded

  2. White Male

    1,900 degrees awarded

  3. Asian Female

    650 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Boston University is white female (2,804 degrees awarded). There were 1.48 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,900 degrees).

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Operations

Boston University has an endowment valued at nearly $1.96B, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $328M (16.7%), compared to the 5.91% average return ($16.9M on $287M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2017, Boston University had a total expenditure of $1.78B. Of that $1.78B, they spent $797M on salaries and $1.78B on benefits.

Boston University employs 519 Professors, 374 Lecturers, and 341 Associate professors. Most academics at Boston University are Male Professors (399), Female Lecturers(204), and Male Associate professors (190).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 1246 employees, Service, with 681 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 647 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$1.96B

2017 Endowment

18.3%

growth from 2016

Boston University has an endowment valued at about $1.96B, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston University grew 18.3% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $1.67B 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. $239M - Federal

  2. $4.8M - State

  3. $215k - Local

As of 2017, Boston University received $239M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $4.8M from state grants and contracts, and $215k 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.

$797M

Salary Expenditure

$1.78B

Benefits Expenditure

In 2017, Boston University had a total expenditure of $1.78B. Of that $1.78B, they spent $797M on salaries and $1.78B 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

$797M

2017 Salaries

4.21%

growth from 2016

In 2017, Boston University paid a median of $797M in salaries, which represents 44.9% of their overall expenditure ($1.78B) and a 4.21% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 3.66% growth from 2015 and a 2.19% growth from 2014.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 215M (42.7% of overall expenditures).

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Instructional Salaries

$238M

Instructional Salaries

1,839

Number of Employees

In 2017, Boston University paid a total of $238M to 1,839 employees working as instructors, which represents 29.9% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $146M (22.5%) for similar Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity.

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Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

519 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

1246 Employees

In 2017, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston University were Professor with 519 employees; Lecturer with 374 employees; and Lecturer with 341 employees.

In 2017, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston University were Business and Financial Operations with 1,246 employees; Service with 681 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 647 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 2017, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston University was Male Professor with 399 employees, Female Lecturer with 204 employees, and Male Associate professor with 190 employees.

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

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