Located in Boston, MA, Boston University is one of the best universities in the state of Massachusetts. On this page, you will find in-depth rankings for Boston University in the following areas: graduation rates, teaching resources, financing opportunities, and alumni donations. Latest acceptance rate is also given to show how competitive is Boston University.
Boston University is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the United States. According to U.S. News & World Report, Boston University ranks #42 among National Universities and #22 among Best Value Schools. The university also has high rankings for its graduate and professional schools, including Business (#30), Education (#37), Nursing (#15), and Law (#21). In addition, many of Boston University’s individual programs are highly ranked, such as its College of Engineering (ranked #40 nationally) and its College of Arts & Sciences (ranked #34 nationally).
Boston University is also highly regarded for its research activities. It is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) and part of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education, which includes Harvard University, Tufts University, MIT, Brandeis University, and Northeastern University. Furthermore, it ranks in the top 25 universities nationally for total research expenditures (over $500 million annually). This allows BU to attract some of the most talented faculty members from around the world who are engaged in cutting-edge research projects across a variety of disciplines. The university also fosters an environment that encourages collaboration between faculty members, students, and industry partners to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.
1 Sherborn Street Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 353-2300
Email: admissions@bu.edu
Web site: http://www.bu.edu
Rankings: Boston University
| Rankings, Ratings, and Admissions Statistics | |
| Overall Ranking: | 56 |
| Score: | 52 |
| Peer college rating (out of 5) | 3.4 |
| Graduation and retention ranking: | 46 |
| Average freshman retention rate: | 91.0% |
| 6-year graduation rate: | 80.0% |
| Predicted graduation rate: | 83% |
| Overperformance(+)/Underperformance(-): | -3 |
| Faculty resources ranking: | 91 |
| Classes with under 20 students (2020): | 55.7% |
| Classes with 50 or more students (2020): | 10.1% |
| Student faculty ratio (2020): | 15:1 |
| Percent of faculty who are full-time (2020) | 81.0% |
| Student selectivity ranking: | 54 |
| SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile (2020) | 1180-1360 |
| 2020 Freshmen in top 10 percent of high school class: | 55% |
| Freshmen in top 25 percent of high school class (2020): | 87% |
| Fall 2020 Acceptance rate: | 54.3% |
| Financial resources rank: | 53 |
| Alumni giving rank: | 178 |
| Average alumni giving rate (2020): | 8.7% |
Essential Facts: Boston University
- In 1877, Boston University became the first American university to award a PhD to a woman.
- The university was one of the first American institutions of higher education to accept African-American and international students.
- Boston University is well known for men’s hockey, in which it has won five national championships, most recently in 2009.
Rules and regulations Sports Activities
| General Information | |
| Percent of undergraduate students who live in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: | 65% |
| Percent of undergraduates who are members of a fraternity: | 3% |
| Percent of student body who are members of a sorority: | 7% |
| Average percentage of students on campus during weekends: | 80% |
| Are all students permitted to have cars on campus? | Yes |
| Percent of students who have cars on campus: | 2% |
| Is alcohol permitted on campus for students of legal age? | Yes |
| Additional policies and regulations: | class attendance policies set by individual instructors, hazing prohibited, smoking prohibited |
| Collegiate athletic association: | NCAA I |
| Men’s scholarship sports: | basketball, cross country, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, track and field (indoor), track and field (outdoor), wrestling |
| Women’s scholarship sports: | basketball, crew (heavyweight), cross country, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, crew (lightweight), soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field (indoor), track and field (outdoor) |
| Student activities: | choral groups, concert band, dance, drama/theater, jazz band, literary magazine, marching band, music ensembles, musical theater, opera, pep band, radio station, student government, student newspaper, student film society, symphony orchestra, television station, yearbook |