National university
#3 Best colleges for criminal justice in AmericaBoston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $24,402 a year
Median debt at graduation: $23,250 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Fall Open HouseOctober 23, 2026 · On campusGet on campus and learn all about BU!More about Fall Open HouseAdd to calendar
- Transfer Information SessionOctober 23, 2026This program is designed for prospective transfer students.More about Transfer Information SessionAdd to calendar
- Navigating Pre-Health: A Guide for Prospective StudentsOctober 28, 2026Learn from our Director of Pre-Health Programs & Advising about preprofessional opportunities and bring your questions!More about Navigating Pre-Health: A Guide for Prospective StudentsAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Campus tour
Boston University Virtual Tour: What To Know About Campus · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#3 of 1,046
- Best colleges for social work in America#3 of 605
- Best colleges for business in America#28 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#29 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#28 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#57 of 1,829
Show 25 more
- Best test-optional colleges in America#51 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#49 of 1,418
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#24 of 690
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#51 of 1,358
- Best large colleges in America#10 of 256
- Best colleges for English in America#51 of 1,283
- Best colleges for art and design in America#49 of 1,187
- Best colleges for history in America#54 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#54 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#54 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#50 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#53 of 1,116
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#91 of 1,829
- Most selective colleges in America#36 of 683
- Best colleges for computer science in America#40 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#40 of 749
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#46 of 704
- Best colleges for economics in America#54 of 788
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#29 of 367
- Best colleges in the Boston area#5 of 51
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#85 of 693
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#84 of 598
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#96 of 682
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#52 of 239
In Massachusetts
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Massachusetts#1 of 31
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Massachusetts#2 of 38
- Best colleges for business in Massachusetts#3 of 50
- Best colleges for social work in Massachusetts#1 of 12
- Best test-optional colleges in Massachusetts#5 of 59
- Best colleges for education in Massachusetts#5 of 48
Show 25 more
- Best colleges in Massachusetts#7 of 67
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Massachusetts#5 of 47
- Best colleges for psychology in Massachusetts#6 of 51
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Massachusetts#6 of 46
- Most selective colleges in Massachusetts#6 of 46
- Best colleges for art and design in Massachusetts#6 of 44
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Massachusetts#7 of 47
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Massachusetts#7 of 47
- Best colleges for English in Massachusetts#7 of 46
- Best colleges for history in Massachusetts#7 of 46
- Best colleges for mathematics in Massachusetts#7 of 43
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Massachusetts#7 of 41
- Best colleges for chemistry in Massachusetts#7 of 40
- Best colleges for economics in Massachusetts#7 of 39
- Best colleges for engineering in Massachusetts#4 of 22
- Best colleges for computer science in Massachusetts#6 of 33
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Massachusetts#9 of 45
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Massachusetts#14 of 67
- Best value colleges in Massachusetts#10 of 46
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in Massachusetts#10 of 46
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Massachusetts#2 of 9
- Best colleges for music in Massachusetts#7 of 31
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Massachusetts#9 of 38
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Massachusetts#11 of 46
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Massachusetts#12 of 47
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.89%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.95%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,480 · ACT 33
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$35,988
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $86,285 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 18,656 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 42% · Women 58% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 17% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 82% |
| Total students | 36,624 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $24,402 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $86,285 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,250 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 89% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 81% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 78% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 82% |
| First-year retention | 95% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $83,238 |
| Admission rate | 11% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $80 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1480 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 690–750 |
| SAT math | 730–780 |
| ACT composite | 32–34 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 32% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Business administration | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Economics | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Mathematics | |
| Other health professions and related clinical sciences | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Communication studies | |
| Health sciences | |
| Design | |
| Rehabilitation and therapy | |
| Neuroscience | |
| Philosophy | |
| International relations | |
| Political science | |
| Journalism | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Psychology | |
| Sociology | |
| Social work | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Biology | |
| History | |
| Secondary education | |
| English | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Special education | |
| Education (general) | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| Other education | |
| Teacher education | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Anthropology | |
| Clinical and counseling psychology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Music | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Applied mathematics, Archeology, Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Chemistry, Classical and Ancient Studies, Classics, Clinical laboratory science, Computing and information science, Criminal justice, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Engineering (general), Engineering Physics, Family and human development, Film and video, Geography, Geology and earth science, German, Linguistics, Mathematical Economics, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Natural resources and conservation, Nutrition Sciences, Other social sciences, Physical Sciences, Physics, Pre-health, Public relations, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Speech-language pathology, Urban Studies/Affairs, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Communication | |
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Computer and information sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 3% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $19,020 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Patriot League |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 70%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $98,119IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 63% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 5 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Town population | 666,442Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 5 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 28°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Jamaica Plain, MA, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.01 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Boston University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 4% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Boston University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $24,402 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Boston University?
- Boston University admitted 11% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Boston University’s graduates do?
- 89% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $83,238; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,250.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 164988
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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