Boston University is a private global research institute located in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is one of the largest in Boston and the fourth-largest in the US. BU campus is divided between 3 regional campuses. The main campus of Boston University has an Indian committee with the largest cultural group, 250 active members, and 1,000 alumni. 

Currently, the university is home to more than 33,000 students, out of which 11,000 students are international. Out of all the enrollments, 14,000 students are enrolled in the College of Arts and Science, College of Engineering, and Business School respectively. With an acceptance rate of 20%, BU shows a strictly selective admission policy. To apply for any graduate course, international students are required to submit a GPA of 3.0/4.0 (83-90%), a TOEFL-iBT score of 84, a GMAT score of 620-720, and a minimum of 2 years of work experience. In Fall 2021 BU admission, the university received a total number of 75,778 applications for different programs. Explore: Boston University Courses!

Boston university enrollment by ethnicity
Source: Boston University

Boston University cost of attendance is 60 lakhs including tuition fees of 46 lakhs and living expenses of 11-13 lakhs per year. Even if there are a number of scholarships available at Boston University, international students can only apply for merit-based scholarships. Students can get fee waivers up to 19.74 lakhs. The university has a few Indian Alumni like – Shradha Kapoor, Shweta Bachan Nandan and Shradha Bhansali (CEO of Evo Foods). The average salary offered to graduates at Boston University is 65 lakhs. Some of the top recruiters at the university are Accenture, Amazon, Deloitte, and Adobe.

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Boston University Courses

BU courses are offered across 300+ on-campus programs in undergraduate, graduate, and PhD degrees. Students can opt for either hybrid or on-campus mode for the delivery of programs. 70+ study abroad Boston University programs are also available for the students.

The university has various research opportunities and spent 526 billion USD on total research expenditures in FY2021. More than 200 companies are developing & selling products based on BU discoveries.

Boston University Rankings

Boston University is ranked #108 in the world as per QS World Rankings 2023. The university is ranked by various top-ranking agencies and some of them are mentioned below. 

  • #108 in QS World University Rankings, 2023
  • #75 in Graduate Employability Rankings by QS Global World Rankings, 2022
  • #62 in World University Rankings by Times Higher Education, 2022
  • #65 in Global Universities as per US News Rankings 2022
  • #42 National Universities by US News Rankings 2022
  • #62 in World University Rankings by Times Higher Education, 2022
  • #38 Best Value Schools by US News Rankings 2022
  • #70 Most Innovative Schools by US News Rankings 2022

Boston University: College Comparison

Boston, MIT, Harvard, and Northeastern University are top universities in Massachusetts. According to their popular disciplines by U.S. News and World Report, 2022 a brief comparison is provided in the following table:

Subject Boston University Harvard University Northeastern University
Engineering #35 #21 #33
Business #47 #5 #85
Law #17 #4 #73
Medical Research #32 #1 -
Computer Science #48 #16 #34

Boston University Admissions

BU invites applications for admission in Fall and Spring sessions. Students have to submit their applications and required documents online. International students planning for BU admission in 2023, can check the below-mentioned process.

BU Application Process

Application Portal: Common ApplicationApplication Fees: UG: 80 USD (6,320 INR) | PG: Varies

BU Undergraduate Admission Requirements

  • ACT/SAT scores (Test-optional for 2022)
  • GPA- 3.0 /4.0 (~83-86%)
  • Secondary school records
  • Authorized financial statement
  • English proficiency test scores
  • High school transcript
  • Senior year grades
  • Academic LOR
  • School report form
  • Teacher evaluation

BU Graduate Admission Requirements

  • Unofficial Transcripts,
  • 2-3 LOR
  • Personal Statement
  • GPA: Minimum 3.0/4 (83-86%)
  • Resume/CV
  • English proficiency test scores
  • GRE scores (waived off)
  • GMAT score above 620-720 (average 675)
  • 2 years of work experience for MBA

Boston University Acceptance Rate

Boston University acceptance rate is 20%. The university is home to 11,000 international students coming from 100+ countries. BU class of 2025 is ethnically diversified with 23% international students representing 8 types of ethnicities. Boston University acceptance rate is around 20%, depicting a selective admission policy.

Boston University Fall 2021 applications
Source: Boston University

Boston University Cost of Attendance

Before moving to university, students are required to be prepared with a budget for tuition fees and cost of living. The cost of attendance for Boston University for undergraduate and graduate courses is mentioned below.

BU Undergraduate Fees

Boston University fees for undergraduate courses are approximately 53- 63 lakhs per annum depending upon accommodation. A detailed view of the same is tabulated below.

Fees Type Commuter (INR) Resident (INR)
Tuition Fees 46.25 lakhs 46.25 lakhs
University Fees 1 lakh 1 lakh
Medical Insurance 1.88 lakhs 1.88 lakhs
Books & Supplies 0.76 lakhs 0.76 lakhs
Room & Meal Plan 0 13.28 lakhs
Incidentals 3.01 lakhs 1.52 lakhs
Meals on Campus 1.96 lakhs 0

BU Graduate Fees

Boston University fees vary as per the graduate school. Boston College of Engineering tuition fees can be around 46.6 lakhs. Whereas, for Boston School of Social Work, the tuition fee is around 17.6 lakhs. Goldman School of Dental Medicine charges the most with 67.4 lakhs as tuition costs. Some of the top graduate schools with fees are mentioned below.

Boston University Campus 

Boston University campuses have three locations and the main campus is located near Charles River. The urban BU campus is 175 acres big and spread across the city. The university has 500 student clubs, Ski Racing, shows, concerts, and 50+ exhibitions annually. Students can use subways, buses, and trolleys for city travel.

  • Boston University campus includes 850 classrooms, 347 buildings, 1,772 laboratories, and 12 libraries.
  • The weather conditions at Boston University change extremely as per season. The temperature in autumn varies between 8 to 23°C. In winter temperature ranges from -17 to 3 °C and in summer 15 to 35 °C.
  • Students can explore places like The Boston Common and Public Garden, The Boston Public Library, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Fenway Park, and The Freedom Trail.
  • Students can munch in nearby Indian restaurants like India Quality Restaurant and Mumbai Spice.

The university offers excellent dining facilities for both on-campus and off-campus locations. While staying on-campus, students can choose to dine at 25+ restaurants. Students can also explore Quick-stop coffee shops and cafés, including Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts. Some other off-campus restaurants include Pavement Coffeehouse - BU, Einstein Bros. Bagels, India Quality Restaurant, and Mumbai Spice. The average dining cost is 6,510 USD.

Boston University Accommodation

Boston University offers both on-campus and off-campus accommodation to undergraduate and graduate students. 70% of the students live in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing and 30% of students live off-campus. The university offers guaranteed accommodation to all freshmen. Students can get $700 per person per month in places like Brighton or Cambridge.

BU On-Campus Housing for International Students

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students can stay in BU accommodations like Large traditional-style, Small traditional-style, Apartment-style, Student Village, and Fenway Campus. 

  • Traditional Style: 8.38 lakhs-11.44 lakhs
  • Apartment Style: 11 lakhs- 14.78 lakhs

Graduate Students

Graduate students can choose to stay on various campuses like Central Campus, East Campus, South Campus, Fenway Campus, and Medical Campus. The average cost to stay on campus is 11.45 lakhs per annum.

Apply for on-campus housing, here!

BU Off-Campus Housing for International Students

Some of the popular off-campus accommodations in the USA are mentioned below. Housing charges vary with the choice of room types.

Housing Type Cost in INR
Pierce Boston 2.56 – 9.68 lakhs
Fenway Triangle 2.46 – 18.82 lakhs
Addison 1.82 – 3.46 lakhs
Van Ness 2.24 – 13.08 lakhs
Ten Essex 2.29 – 4.74 lakhs

Boston University Scholarships

Boston University scholarships in the USA are offered to both of its domestic and international students. Every year 100% of undergraduate students receive merit-based scholarships. BU awards $329.5 million in financial aid to undergraduates.

International students can only apply for BU merit-based scholarships. Need-based scholarships are not available for international students and they are required to show evidence of enough funds to cover tuition fees and the cost of living.

The two types of scholarships available to international students are:

  • Trustee Scholarship: The scholarship is offered to 20 outstanding students with a GPA of 4.
  • Presidential Scholarship: The university awards $25,000 (19.75 INR) tuition that is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study.

To apply for scholarships, students need to apply by December 1 and submit a written essay of 600 words. The two topics for the scholarship essay are mentioned below.

  • Howard Thurman, who was the dean of BU’s Marsh Chapel from 1953 to1965, once wrote: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Can you describe a particular experience you have had or an activity you participate in that makes you come alive? How would you try to integrate that experience or activity into your time at BU?
  • Describe a time when you felt out of your comfort zone or marginalized in a situation. How did you respond to that moment and how has it informed your actions moving forward?

Graduate students at Metropolitan College can apply for assistantships through their academic departments or programs. Also, 90% of MBA applicants receive awards that are enough to cover half of the tuition fees

Boston University Placements

99% of undergraduate students at Boston University accepted full-time jobs in the USA within 6 months. The average salary of undergraduates at BU is 70,659 USD. The average salary packages earned by graduate students are:

Degree Average Salary (USD)
Masters of Science 85,941
MBA 111,712
Biomedical Engineering 62,757
Computer Engineering 87,971
Electrical Engineering 80,529
Mechanical Engineering 72,773

Some of the top recruiters hiring graduates of Boston University are: 

BU SA

Boston University Alumni

Boston University alumni enjoy various benefits like insurance plans, FitRec membership, hotel and retail store discounts, BU parking discounts, job searches, Club membership, Sports membership and events, Dinning facilities, and more.

Some of the BU notable alumni are:

  • Shradha Bhansali: CEO of Evo Foods
  • Shradha Kapoor: Indian Actress
  • Marisa Tomei: Actress
  • Julianne Moore: Actress
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Politician
  • Emily Deschanel: Actress
  • Geena Davis: Actress

Boston University prepares its graduates to lead in an interconnected world with a 390,700 alumni network. The alumni include eight Nobel laureates, 23 Pulitzer prize winners, six Marshall Scholars, 10 Rhodes scholars, and 9 academy award winners. Alumni and professors from BU connect with ideas, people, and urgent issues throughout the world in 75 countries. Academics, research, and internships at Boston University are plentiful and diverse.

FAQs

Ques. What is the tuition fee for international students at Boston University?

Ans. At Boston University the overall expenses amount to approximately 77,662 USD. This is inclusive of tuition, room, and board along with books and supplies. The cost may vary with the type of program and accommodation opted for.

Ques. Does Boston University offer scholarships to international students?

Ans.There are many forms of financial aid at BU. While 91% of them are need-based, 9% of them are given based on merit. International students can only apply for Boston University merit-based scholarships. For graduate programs, international students can avail aid through assistantships and work-study.

Ques. Is Boston University hard to get into?

Ans. Boston University's acceptance rate is 20%, reflecting a highly selective admission policy. The MBA program has an acceptance rate of 12.2% and management courses have 10%. Students are recommended to aim for high scores in both academic and standardized tests for secure admission.

Ques. What is Boston University famous for?

Ans. Boston University’s Medical School along with its other high-ranked graduate schools makes it one of the best institutes in the USA for higher education.

Ques. Is Boston University an Ivy League?

Ans. Boston University is not an Ivy League school, but it demonstrates several qualities for which Ivy League institutes are known. The university showcases excellent education with great career outcomes.

Ques. Is Boston University a good university for international students?

Ans. Boston is considered among one of the best higher educational institutes in the USA. The university is ranked #108 in QS Global Rankings, 2023, and #75 in Graduate Employability Rankings, 2022. Boston University is currently housing 11,000 international students. 

Ques. What academic score is required for Boston University admission?

Ans. The minimum GPA requirement for Boston University is 3.0/4 (83-86%). However, students with a GPA of 3.7/4 (90-92%) have a higher chance of getting selected in the university.

Ques. Does Boston University provide on-campus accommodation?

Ans. Yes. Boston University provides both its domestic and international students with on-campus accommodation facilities. Housing ranges from 8 lakhs up to 14 lakhs as per the location and room choice.

Ques. Which is better - Boston University or University of Southern California?

Ans. Boston University is ranked #108 and USC is ranked #134 in the world. While BU has a 4-rank increase, USC dropped 22 ranks from last year. The cost for both the universities is same and there is only a slight difference that the programs offered at Boston University are ranked better than the other. The Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services are ranked #9 for Boston University and #24 for USC.