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🎓 College profile

Boston University

MA · Private nonprofit · Large city · 80,495 applicants 2023

R1 Research
11% admit rate SAT 1400–1520 $47,504/yr at $110k+ income

🧭 A parent's read

  • The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Computer Science grads from here earn about $136,667 four years out; drama grads about $39,322 — a 3.5× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • Kids finish — on time. 89% graduate in four years. Nationally, barely half do — and a fifth year elsewhere quietly adds $30–70k to the real price. On-time completion is the most underrated ROI number in this decision.
  • The campus itself adds earnings power. Opportunity Insights tracks it: only about 4% of students arrive from the bottom income fifth, but those who do reach the top fifth by their 30s at a 50% rate — a strong sign the outcomes here are the campus, not just the intake.
  • Your price depends enormously on your income — and on qualifying at all. Above $110k income, aid-receiving families still average about $47,504/yr here — and many higher-income families receive no aid at all. Lower brackets pay far less (~$11,778 at $48–75k), which is why the college's own net-price calculator — not any bracket average — is your number.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at Boston University Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Match / Likely + your real net price. Boston University starts already on the list. Start →

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Reach

Highly selective reach for nearly every applicant.

✅ Best for

  • Strong academic profiles — admitted students cluster in the top test and GPA tiers (bands above)
  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Trustee Scholarship or Presidential Scholarship on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1400, or ACT below 32, or unweighted GPA below 3.70 (admitted-class quartiles per the school's own data)
  • With selective universities, build a balanced college list of Reaches, Targets, and Safeties ⓘ

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
18,248
20,000 and above
TuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$68,102
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
10.8%
Highly selective
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1400–1520
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
32–34
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$83,238
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

🎓 High-school GPA

3.90 avg unweightedGPA on the plain 4.0 scale, no honors/AP bonus. When a college publishes an "average admitted GPA of 3.9," it's often this scale — don't compare it to a weighted 4.3. GPA, enrolled first-years

Enrolled first-years by GPA band: 4.00 41% · 3.75-3.99 37% · 3.50-3.74 22%

unweighted 4.0 scale. Boston University Common Data Set 2024-2025, Section C (C11 GPA distribution, C12 average HS GPA), Analytical Services & Institutional Research ↗

As published by the college in its Common Data Set / admissions data (2024-25) (source linked above). GPA basis (weighted vs. unweighted vs. 4.0-scale) varies by college and is labeled above.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$65,655
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$83,238
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
89%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$23,250

💰 The real cost

What families at your income actually pay

Above $110K income — where most Reach families sit — aid-receiving families average $47,504/yr at Boston University; families who don't qualify for aid pay the full ~$86,285/yr. Lower brackets pay less — the full ladder is below. One caveat, once: every bracket figure here averages only the families in that bracket who received aid — it says nothing about whether your family will qualify.

🔎 Earning over $110K? You're above the top federal bracket — the median family headed by a 45-to-54-year-old (the prime college-parent years) earned about $134K in 2024, and the federal data lumps everyone from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Whether you'll get need aidGrant money based on your family's finances (via FAFSA and the college's own forms), not your student's stats. at this income is entirely college-specific: a few heavily-endowed schools meet full need well past $150K, while many others give little above the brackets shown — there, merit scholarships, where offered, become the realistic lever.

Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated net price across your whole college list — then confirm the exact figure with Boston University's own Net Price Calculator ↗ (10–15 min; have your tax return handy).

Family income $110k+ most Reach families
$47,504/yr
Family income $75-110k
$22,517/yr
Family income $48-75k
$11,778/yr
Family income $30-48k
$9,342/yr
Family income $0-30k
$9,500/yr

📈 The payoffTen years of typical earnings divided by four years of cost. A 3× means a decade of median pay covers the cost three times over — check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you., both ways

2.4× at full price 8.5× with aid
Full price, no aidThe all-in yearly price — tuition, housing, food, books, fees — before any aid. This is the real "full price," not just the tuition line. (4 yrs)
$345,140
~$86,285/yr all-in
Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)
$97,608
$24,402/yr average
10-yr earnings total
$832,380
$83,238/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup the cost
4.1 yrs
at full price (1.2 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41–NPT45; Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates; suppressed brackets = small cohorts; the $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — the brackets haven't been refreshed since the early 2010s). Payoff multiple = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (4-yr cost); full price is the published cost of attendance; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Boston University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Boston University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
745 degrees · 25.0%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Social Sciences
681 degrees · 22.9%
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
3. Communication, Journalism, & Related
626 degrees · 21.0%
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
535 degrees · 18.0%
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
5. Engineering
390 degrees · 13.1%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — Boston University's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 294 $90,050 $136,667
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 122 $93,995 $135,394
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. Bachelor's Degree 60 $54,456 $110,622
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 678 $71,545 $108,412
Biomedical/Medical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 126 $69,209 $99,024
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 50 $80,528 $98,953
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 305 $55,733 $96,723
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 149 $76,337 $95,757
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 135 $64,604 $84,784
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other. Bachelor's Degree 41 — $83,413

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

⭐ Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at Boston University

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Trustee Scholarship
Trustee · any
 $67,000/yr 1500+ SAT — Yes
Presidential Scholarship
Presidential · any
 $25,000/yr 1400+ SAT — Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

📈 Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. Why it matters even if you're full-pay: a high mobility rate means the campus itself confers earnings power — the outcomes aren't just selection effects.

Top-1% access
7.6%
from top-1% households
Mobility rateThe share of ALL students who arrived from the bottom 20% of family incomes AND reached the top 20% themselves by their early 30s — access and lift in one number, and a sign the campus itself adds earnings power.
2.0%
bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32
Upward rate
50.4%
of lower-income students who reach the top 20%
Pell recipientsStudents receiving federal Pell grants, which go to lower- and middle-income families — the standard shorthand for a college's economic mix.
19%
on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Boston University

AI degrees (annual)
22
CIP 11.0102
CS degrees (annual)
532
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

Alternatives to Boston University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 stats-based merit scholarships
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
21 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
17 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$13,905/yr full price (in-state) · $72,380 less before aid
CUNY Brooklyn College
NY · Public
$14,151/yr full price (in-state) · $72,134 less before aid
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
$14,170/yr full price (in-state) · $72,115 less before aid
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
MA · Public
58% admit rate (vs 11% here)
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
MA · Public
85% admit rate (vs 11% here)
🚀 Stronger campus value-add
Per Opportunity Insights, these campuses add more earnings power to the students they enroll than Boston University does — a quality signal, not a cost play.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
12.9% mobility rate (vs 2.0% here)
CUNY City College
NY · Public
11.7% mobility rate (vs 2.0% here)
Stony Brook University
NY · Public
8.4% mobility rate (vs 2.0% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

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