Boston University

Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · offers Graduate degrees

Large city

11%Acceptance rate

$24,402Average net price / year

89%Graduation rate

$83,238Median earnings 10 yrs after entry

$23,250Median debt at graduation

18,248Undergraduates

Cost

In-state tuition & fees: $68,102
Total cost of attendance: $86,285
Room & board: $19,020
Books & supplies: $1,000
Average net price: $24,402

Net price by family income

$0–30k: $9,500
$30–48k: $9,342
$48–75k: $11,778
$75–110k: $22,517
$110k+: $47,504

Official net price calculator

Admissions

Acceptance rate: 11.1%
Average SAT: 1480
SAT reading (25–75%): 690–750
SAT math (25–75%): 730–780
ACT composite (25–75%): 32–34

Outcomes

Graduation rate: 89%
First-year retention: 95%
Median earnings (6 yrs): $65,655
Median earnings (10 yrs): $83,238
Median debt (graduates): $23,250
3-year loan default rate: 0.0%
Students with Pell grants: 19%
Students with federal loans: 23%

Programs: what graduates earn

113 of 314 programs have published earnings or debt data. Earnings are median salaries of graduates one year after completing the program (or the latest available year).

Bachelor's degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Computer Engineering	99	$93,995	$25,984
Computer Science	305	$90,050	$23,125
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	43	$80,528	$26,646
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	3	$77,660	—
Mechanical Engineering	124	$76,337	$25,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations	672	$71,545	$23,196
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	132	$69,209	$25,500
Mathematics	128	$64,604	$19,250
Economics	307	$55,733	$24,224
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	19	$54,456	$24,375
Design and Applied Arts	39	$49,254	$21,000
Social Sciences, Other	32	$48,243	—
Communication and Media Studies	60	$47,349	$23,250
International Relations and National Security Studies	189	$45,870	$23,394
Political Science and Government	162	$45,021	$23,250
Hospitality Administration/Management	73	$44,657	$23,250
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	155	$42,894	$25,889
Journalism	91	$42,857	$24,500
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	138	$42,850	$25,000
Philosophy	62	$40,377	$25,375
Biology, General	153	$40,165	$25,985
Psychology, General	305	$39,175	$23,250
Chemistry	36	$39,157	$25,990
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	121	$39,093	$24,325
Sociology	47	$38,457	$26,375
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	195	$37,225	$22,167
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29	$36,705	$25,000
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	92	$35,873	$27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	19	$35,281	$27,000
Education, General	1	$27,891	$27,000
Anthropology	21	$26,934	$25,250
Music	39	$23,934	$27,000
English Language and Literature, General	56	$23,579	$25,750
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	51	$21,508	$26,849
Fine and Studio Arts	42	$17,374	$20,475
Special Education and Teaching	7	$57,294	$27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	14	$47,289	$25,500
Education, Other	0	$54,883	$27,000
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	23	$49,068	—
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	12	$54,222	—
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	—	$50,149	—
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	—	$54,044	—
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	39	$33,514	$24,677
Nutrition Sciences	22	$68,485	—
Research and Experimental Psychology	—	$38,835	—
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	1	$42,584	$27,000
Social Work	0	$48,660	—
Visual and Performing Arts, General	0	$50,536	—
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	12	$71,937	—
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other	29	$83,413	$26,773
History	39	$33,721	$25,996

Master's degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Insurance	16	$144,715	—
Computer Science	227	$144,484	—
Health and Medical Administrative Services	89	$121,050	$56,842
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other	25	$119,755	$140,895
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies	214	$113,679	$61,150
Business Administration, Management and Operations	1,198	$110,558	$47,962
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	99	$106,809	—
Information Science/Studies	257	$104,702	$31,165
Computer Software and Media Applications	102	$98,965	$33,034
Finance and Financial Management Services	277	$93,057	—
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	370	$89,942	$36,916
Mechanical Engineering	58	$88,228	$57,930
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	93	$84,095	$41,000
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	122	$83,663	$48,565
Public Administration	0	$82,601	—
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	127	$73,982	$39,224
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	221	$70,479	$59,608
Public Health	375	$68,423	$62,334
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	15	$67,091	—
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other	74	$65,605	$29,500
Curriculum and Instruction	102	$65,020	$20,500
Criminal Justice and Corrections	122	$63,965	$39,700
Marketing	169	$61,136	—
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	16	$60,806	—
Educational Administration and Supervision	54	$60,734	$29,762
Nutrition Sciences	34	$60,684	$61,371
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	15	$60,615	$70,081
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	47	$60,038	$52,000
Journalism	46	$59,418	—
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	147	$59,382	$28,103
Special Education and Teaching	38	$59,238	$33,500
Social Work	321	$57,991	$53,395
Security Science and Technology	9	$57,616	$105,433
Student Counseling and Personnel Services	32	$55,652	$53,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	25	$53,978	$25,500
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	57	$52,171	—
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	50	$51,951	$80,000
International Relations and National Security Studies	51	$51,374	$86,165
Psychology, General	34	$50,606	$64,500
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	17	$49,851	$28,235
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	97	$46,203	$68,910
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	191	$38,610	$67,568
Fine and Studio Arts	30	$37,078	—
Communication and Media Studies	65	$34,000	$77,420
Culinary Arts and Related Services	20	$34,830	—
Education, General	0	$45,414	—
Computer Engineering	2	$115,901	—
Theological and Ministerial Studies	79	$40,331	—
Social Sciences, General	0	$60,826	—
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	0	$35,618	—
Music	65	$33,713	$39,771
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	40	—	$66,684
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	0	$70,593	—

Doctoral degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	163	$76,682	$61,375
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	13	$75,171	—
Music	25	$38,029	—
Theological and Ministerial Studies	15	$91,158	—

First professional degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Law	245	$139,986	$117,740
Dentistry	193	$111,866	$310,944
Medicine	149	$70,654	$205,222
Theological and Ministerial Studies	—	$51,172	$25,000

Graduate certificate

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	61	$263,486	—

Students

Undergraduates: 18,248
Graduate students: 22,075
Part-time: 1%
Women / men: 58% / 42%
White: 32%
Hispanic: 11%
Black: 6%
Asian: 21%
International: 21%

Faculty & school

Student–faculty ratio: 10:1
Avg faculty salary: $149,607 / year
Full-time faculty: 70%
Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education
Website: www.bu.edu
Also known as: BU|Boston U

Frequently asked questions

What is the acceptance rate at Boston University?

11.1% of applicants were admitted, and admitted students averaged 1480 on the SAT.

How much does Boston University cost?

The average net price after grants is $24,402 per year; in-state tuition and fees are $68,102 and the full cost of attendance is $86,285.

How much do Boston University graduates earn?

Students who enrolled earn a median of $83,238 ten years later. See the program table above for salaries by major.

What is the graduation rate?

89% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time.

Other colleges in Boston

College	Net price	Acceptance	Graduation	Earnings
Northeastern University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 17,326 students	$30,915	5%	91%	$92,538
University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA · Public · 11,512 students	$17,707	84%	49%	$65,865
Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA · Public · 8,612 students	$7,818	—	13%	$47,618
Berklee College of Music Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 7,468 students	$49,465	44%	67%	$33,647
Suffolk University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4,268 students	$29,618	82%	61%	$67,506
Emerson College Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 3,870 students	$49,180	51%	77%	$62,832
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 3,747 students	$34,170	91%	68%	$82,721
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 3,451 students	$39,545	85%	62%	$125,557
Emmanuel College Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 1,854 students	$26,706	76%	68%	$68,245
Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA · Public · 1,831 students	$24,100	76%	69%	$43,582

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.