Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · Graduate degree-granting
Boston University is a private nonprofit institution in Boston, Massachusetts, accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. With 18,248 students, it is a mid-size institution. Graduates earn a median of $83,238 ten years after enrollment, which is 104% above the national median of $40,747. In terms of completion, the graduation rate is 89.3%. Regarding affordability, median graduate debt is $23,250, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 3.58x. The average net price after financial aid is $24,402 per year. The most popular programs include Business Administration & Management, Public Health, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Social Work, and Economics.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$83,238
Graduation Rate
89.3%
Median Debt
$23,250
Average Net Price
$24,402
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
0.85x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
3.58x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
18,248
Admission Rate
11.1%
Average SAT
1480
Retention Rate
94.7%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$68,102
Out-of-State Tuition
$68,102
Pell Grant Rate
19.1%
Federal Loan Rate
22.9%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$9,500
Income $30K–$48K
$9,342
Income $48K–$75K
$11,778
Income $110K+
$47,504
Student Demographics
Women
65.5%
White
32.2%
Black
5.9%
Hispanic
11.5%
Asian
20.5%
Two or More Races
4.7%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
82.2%
Accreditations
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics — Didactic Program in Dietetics (Accredited)
- Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education — Nurse Midwifery (MIDWF) - Basic certificate and graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for registered nurses (Accredited)
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar — Law (LAW) - Professional schools (Accredited)
- American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation — Predoctoral, Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency), Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology- (OMP), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics (including maxillofacial prosthetics and combined prosthodontics/maxillofacial prosthetics), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Fellowship (Accredited)
- American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education — Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree, Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree (Accredited)
- American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education — Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist (Accredited)
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation — Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Accredited)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology — Audiology (AUD) - Graduate degree programs, Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs, Clinical doctoral program in Audiology (Accredited)
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education — Health Services Administration (HSA) - Graduate programs in health services administration (Accredited)
- Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools — Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology (Accredited)
- Commission on English Language Program Accreditation — English Language (Accredited)
- Council on Education for Public Health — Public Health (PHG) - Graduate level school of public health (Accredited)
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education — Medicine (MED) - Programs leading to the M.D. degree (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation — Music (MUS) (Accredited)
- New England Commission of Higher Education — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
Programs (267)
Bachelor (65)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $108,412 | 672 |
| Economics | $96,723 | 307 |
| Computer Science | $136,667 | 305 |
| Psychology | $63,838 | 305 |
| Public Relations | Not reported | 297 |
| Radio, Television & Film | $55,804 | 195 |
| International Relations | $66,661 | 189 |
| Political Science | $66,373 | 162 |
| Health Services | $78,431 | 155 |
| Biology | $61,610 | 153 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | $64,112 | 138 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $99,024 | 132 |
| Mathematics | $84,784 | 128 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,757 | 124 |
| Neuroscience | $68,888 | 121 |
| Computer Engineering | $135,394 | 99 |
| Physiology | $62,342 | 92 |
| Journalism | $65,617 | 91 |
| Hospitality Management | $82,302 | 73 |
| Mathematical Economics | Not reported | 71 |
| Philosophy | $68,026 | 62 |
| Communications | $80,306 | 60 |
| English Language & Literature | $58,564 | 56 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | $39,322 | 51 |
| Sociology | $63,791 | 47 |
| Electrical Engineering | $98,953 | 43 |
| Fine Arts | $49,538 | 42 |
| Ecology | $57,967 | 39 |
| Physics | Not reported | 39 |
| Design & Applied Arts | $72,809 | 39 |
| Music | $39,426 | 39 |
| History | $59,986 | 39 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 36 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | Not reported | 32 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 32 |
| Social Sciences, Other | Not reported | 32 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $72,566 | 29 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $83,413 | 29 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 23 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 22 |
| Anthropology | $53,722 | 21 |
| Teacher Education | $54,766 | 19 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $110,622 | 19 |
| Health Services Administration & Management | Not reported | 18 |
| Astronomy | Not reported | 17 |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | Not reported | 16 |
| Secondary Education | $59,858 | 14 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 12 |
| Communication Disorders | Not reported | 12 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 11 |
| East Asian Languages | Not reported | 11 |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | Not reported | 10 |
| Special Education | $57,294 | 7 |
| Bilingual Education | Not reported | 6 |
| Archeology | Not reported | 5 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 4 |
| Engineering Physics | Not reported | 3 |
| Religion | Not reported | 3 |
| Clinical Laboratory Science | Not reported | 3 |
| Education | $56,556 | 1 |
| Cognitive Psychology | $51,086 | 1 |
| Education, Other | $54,883 | 0 |
| Social Work | $63,594 | 0 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | $54,044 | Not reported |
| Clinical Psychology | $55,066 | Not reported |
Master (91)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $147,178 | 1,198 |
| Public Health | $88,820 | 375 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $118,168 | 370 |
| Social Work | $72,136 | 321 |
| Finance | $117,293 | 277 |
| Information Science | $136,425 | 257 |
| Computer Science | $153,937 | 227 |
| Ecology | $96,565 | 221 |
| Legal Studies | $156,087 | 214 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | $87,544 | 191 |
| Data Processing | Not reported | 175 |
| Marketing | $103,316 | 169 |
| Economics | Not reported | 155 |
| Secondary Education | $68,388 | 147 |
| Public Relations | $90,212 | 127 |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | $104,263 | 122 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | $79,216 | 122 |
| Computer Software Engineering | $140,032 | 102 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | $78,782 | 102 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 100 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 99 |
| Radio, Television & Film | $71,972 | 97 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $113,482 | 93 |
| Health Services Administration | $150,827 | 89 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not reported | 79 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $101,267 | 74 |
| Communications | $59,519 | 65 |
| Music | $43,249 | 65 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 61 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $117,154 | 58 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | $64,819 | 57 |
| Educational Administration | $74,836 | 54 |
| Hospitality Management | Not reported | 52 |
| International Relations | $81,518 | 51 |
| Cognitive Psychology | $70,842 | 50 |
| Communication Disorders | $77,864 | 47 |
| Journalism | $82,549 | 46 |
| Biology | Not reported | 44 |
| Health Services Administration & Management | Not reported | 40 |
| Special Education | $66,364 | 38 |
| Materials Engineering | Not reported | 37 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $84,870 | 34 |
| Psychology | Not reported | 34 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | $69,238 | 32 |
| Fine Arts | Not reported | 30 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 29 |
| Design & Applied Arts | Not reported | 26 |
| Teacher Education | $62,027 | 25 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Not reported | 25 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $138,128 | 25 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 24 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Not reported | 23 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 22 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | Not reported | 21 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $51,558 | 20 |
| Biotechnology | Not reported | 20 |
| Systems Science | Not reported | 20 |
| Systems Engineering | Not reported | 17 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Not reported | 17 |
| Human Development & Family Studies | $60,848 | 17 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | Not reported | 17 |
| City & Regional Planning | $80,594 | 16 |
| Insurance | $177,642 | 16 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Not reported | 15 |
| Physiology | Not reported | 15 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | $71,420 | 15 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 14 |
| Cell Biology | Not reported | 12 |
| Mental Health Services | Not reported | 11 |
| Political Science | Not reported | 10 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | 10 |
| Medical Illustration | Not reported | 10 |
| Security & Protective Services | $77,554 | 9 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 7 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | Not reported | 7 |
| History | Not reported | 7 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 6 |
| Bioethics & Medical Ethics | Not reported | 6 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 5 |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Physics | Not reported | 5 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 5 |
| Historic Preservation | Not reported | 4 |
| Astronomy | Not reported | 4 |
| Archeology | Not reported | 4 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 3 |
| Religion | Not reported | 3 |
| Geological Sciences | Not reported | 3 |
| Education | $66,882 | 0 |
| Public Administration | $106,292 | 0 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $80,080 | 0 |
Doctoral (44)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $86,687 | 163 |
| Cell Biology | Not reported | 28 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 26 |
| Music | $60,156 | 25 |
| Economics | Not reported | 21 |
| Educational Administration | Not reported | 19 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 19 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 18 |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | Not reported | 18 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 17 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $91,158 | 15 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 15 |
| Geological Sciences | Not reported | 15 |
| Biology | Not reported | 14 |
| Secondary Education | Not reported | 13 |
| Physics | Not reported | 12 |
| Psychology | Not reported | 11 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 9 |
| Systems Engineering | Not reported | 9 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 8 |
| Materials Engineering | Not reported | 8 |
| Pharmacology | Not reported | 8 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | Not reported | 7 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 6 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 6 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 6 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Not reported | 6 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 5 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 5 |
| Astronomy | Not reported | 5 |
| Cognitive Psychology | Not reported | 5 |
| Political Science | Not reported | 5 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 5 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Not reported | 5 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 4 |
| Religion | Not reported | 4 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 4 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 4 |
| History | Not reported | 4 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | Not reported | 3 |
| Archeology | Not reported | 3 |
| Fine Arts | Not reported | 3 |
| Health Services Administration | Not reported | 3 |
First Professional (4)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Law | $194,750 | 245 |
| Dentistry | $180,633 | 193 |
| Medicine | $102,530 | 149 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $65,938 | Not reported |
Graduate Certificate (4)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $263,486 | 61 |
| Music | Not reported | 9 |
| Secondary Education | Not reported | 7 |
| Educational Administration | Not reported | 4 |
Undergraduate Certificate (25)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences, Other | Not reported | 75 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | Not reported | 35 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Not reported | 35 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 25 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 20 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 19 |
| Computer Software Engineering | Not reported | 18 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 18 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | Not reported | 15 |
| Finance | Not reported | 15 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | Not reported | 14 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Not reported | 13 |
| Entrepreneurship | Not reported | 13 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 12 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Not reported | 11 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not reported | 10 |
| Marketing | Not reported | 9 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Not reported | 8 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 8 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 7 |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | Not reported | 5 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 4 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | Not reported | 3 |
| Secondary Education | Not reported | 3 |
| Medical Illustration | Not reported | 3 |
Show 34 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Education | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Education | Doctoral | 2 |
| Computer Engineering | Master | 2 |
| Computer Engineering Technology | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | Doctoral | 2 |
| Religious Music and Worship | Master | 2 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | Bachelor | 2 |
| Social Work | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Communication Disorders | Doctoral | 2 |
| Health Services Administration & Management | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Taxation | Master | 2 |
| Radio, Television & Film | Doctoral | 1 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Doctoral | 1 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor | 1 |
| Germanic Languages | Bachelor | 1 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Doctoral | 1 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Master | 1 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Doctoral | 1 |
| Microbiology | Master | 1 |
| Microbiology | Doctoral | 1 |
| Ecology | Doctoral | 1 |
| Neuroscience | Master | 1 |
| Applied Mathematics | Doctoral | 1 |
| Religion | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Physical Sciences | Bachelor | 1 |
| Sociology | Master | 1 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | Bachelor | 1 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master | 1 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Doctoral | 1 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Engineering Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Business Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Biology Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Visual & Performing Arts Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Visual & Performing Arts Programs
- Highest Earning Doctoral Visual & Performing Arts Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Communications Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Communications Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Law Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Architecture Programs
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